CRIIGEN - Committee for Research and Independent Information on Genetic Engineering

CRIIGEN is an independent non-profit organization of scientific counter-expertise to study GMOs, pesticides and impacts of pollutants on health and environment, and to develop non polluting alternatives.

It offers expertise and advice at different levels:

• Legal

• Scientific (health and the environment)

• Sociological

• Technical (labels), and more specifically to measure out GMOs

• And finally at an economic level

For citizens, corporations, associations, organizations as well as unions.

It is particularly involved in the case of GMOs bringing together a panel of top scientists totally independent of biotechnological companies and governments.

One of the main objectives is to reach transparency on blood analyses (crude data) of mammals having eaten GMOs in regulatory tests. In general, transparency is requested on the results of commercial genetic engineering and on the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that might have an impact on the environment and/or health. 

President

Dr Joël Spiroux de Vendômois, Doctor in Medecine - Evreux

President of the Scientific Council

Pr Gilles-Eric Séralini, University of Caen

Acting Chairman

Pr Jean-Marie Pelt, European Institute of Ecology - Metz

Assistante Acting Chairman

Dr Marianne Buhler Gynecology - Paris

Treasurer

Dominique Merlhès, Former Chief Executive Director of

"Générale des Farines France"

Acting Treasurer

André Lefebvre, Former director of

"Service d’Eco Développement Agricole et Rura" Burgundy

Article 1: The Association

Article 2: Headquarters

The headquarters are located in Paris:

40 rue de Monceau
75008 Paris
France

They may be transferred by simple decision of the Board of Directors.

 

Article 3 : The objectives of the Association

The objectives of the Association are:

• To carry out research and provide information on genetic engineering and its impact in the fields of biology, the environment, agriculture, food, medicine and public health. That is, natural and artificial impacts, whether intentional or accidental; the short, medium and long term effects will be questioned in relation to human health and the living ecosystem as a whole. The scientific information will be of high quality; the Committee will be working under the aegis of a Scientific Council which will determine the priorities according to their potential impact and according to the available and verifiable knowledge, on public health and the environment.     

• To publicize the collected information, once it has been processed through the verification procedures which have been  set up by CRIIGEN itself:

- For the attention of our members,

- For the attention of user groups (such as organizations/associations, unions, cooperatives, municipalities...)

- For the attention of the public at large, through the media, by publishing brochures, leaflets, and by organizing public meetings, conferences, etc...

• To create a research and analysis laboratory, and/or to sub-contract such research and analytical work for our own investigations, or  on behalf of individuals, local authorities, companies, professional groups, organizations...     
• To make every effort towards the removal of the status of secrecy prevailing in genetic engineering experiments and concerning the Genetically Modified crops  (GMOs), both being likely to have an impact on the environment and/or on health. 
• To develop methods to avoid the spread of genetic pollution. 
• To develop a general interest in all the effects on ecosystems, and more specifically in all the pathologies related to the environment and to pollutions. CRIIGEN is likely to intervene in those fields to develop research or actions (including legal actions) in accordance with its specific area of competence and the decisions of the Board of Directors. CRIIGEN will use the new term "ecogenetic" to qualify the relationship between the environment and genetics, and more specifically to develop studies on the effects of pollution by GMOs or chemicals pollutants on DNA.
• To contribute, without restrictions and more specifically to study the effects of pollutions disseminated throughout France, and therefore contribute to the protection of the environment and health. Such pollutions may be air-borne, or in the soil, or in water, with various impact on biodiversity and human organisms.

To achieve its objectives, i.e. to protect the environment, biodiversity and health, the Association can go to court and/or associate in a court action with the public prosecutor.

The Association reserves its right to extend its activities to other fields than genetical engineering in medicine or agriculture, whenever it deems necessary.