Save Biodiversity – Herbs & Food Regulation

The Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive, 2004/24/EC, was established to provide a regulatory approval process for herbal medicines in the European Union (EU), and came into force on 30 April 2004 . Previously, there was no formal EU wide authorisation procedure, so each EU member stated regulated these types of products at the national level. Under this regulation, all herbal medicinal products are required to obtain an authorisation to market within the EU. Those products marketed before this legislation came into force can continue to market their product until 30 April 2011, under the transitional measures defined in the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive. Once this time limit has expired, all herbal medicinal products must have prior authorisation before they can be marketed in the EU. Read More: > HERE <

Ayurveda (Sanskrit: आयुर्वेद; Ä�yurveda, the „science of life“) or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and practiced in other parts of the world as a form of alternative medicine.In Sanskrit, the word ayurveda consists of the words Ä�yus, meaning „longevity“, and veda, meaning „related to knowledge“ or „science“.Evolving throughout its history, ayurveda remains an influential system of medicine in South Asia.The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India.The Suśruta SaṃhitÄ� and the Charaka SaṃhitÄ� were influential works on traditional medicine during this era.Over the following centuries, ayurvedic practitioners developed a number of medicinal preparations and surgical procedures for the treatment of various ailments and diseases. Read More: > HERE <

Health Choice – Have you heard the hype about future restrictions on natural health products? Find out how the ‚boil-the-frog-slowly‘ method masterminded by governments and transnational corporations is out to restrict YOUR FREEDOM OF CHOICE in the area of natural healthcare.

Read on…… find out here what’s really going on. This is about your future, and that of the next generation. Where in the world are restrictions most imminent?

> European Union (EU) – Canada – United States of America (USA) – New Zealand <

As a consequence of moves to harmonise global food laws, concerted attempts to control consumer access to natural heath products are being made by governments and trans-national corporations.

At a global level the regulatory framework is being developed through the Codex Alimentarius Commission (see our Codex campaign page).

The system of control essentially moves natural health products from a category of food to products requiring pre-market authorisation, where the authorisation systems being used or proposed are very onerous and so lock out large numbers of products (e.g. around 50% of pre-2004 products in Canada).

All this is being enacted under the often conflicting guises of ‘consumer protection’ and ‚free trade‘, nearly always creating a situation where big business gets what it wants while our freedom to choose natural health products is dramatically curtailed.

Inappropriate EU legislation could effectively steam-roller ancient and effective medicine cultures, such as Ayurveda, out of existence.

Certain combinations of herbal products, and those containing significant levels of vitamins and minerals, will be prohibited.

The EU’s Human Medicinal Products Directive (HMPD), issued ostensibly to protect consumers from medical disasters such as the thalidomide tragedy, now has a scope so broad that it can be used to classify certain foods, herbs and nutrients – even water – as drugs.

Many herbal products would be evaluated by inappropriate pharmaceutical criteria, rather than by practicing medical herbalists and others with specific expertise in the field of traditional medicines.

The cost of complying with these pharma-friendly criteria will be prohibitively expensive for many small to medium size enterprises and there could be serious consequences for small herb-producing farmers and communities in non-EU countries.

As you may know The Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive 2004/24/EC (THMPD) of the European Union will have long-term and far-reaching implications for Ayurveda and other Traditional Systems of Medicine (TSMs), specially for the manufacturers and practitioners of these systems. / Senate Bill S510 Makes it illegal to Grow, Share, Trade or Sell Homegrown Food — Section 510(k) and the device approval process. Food Freedom warns about the consequences from this bill.

Jede(r) von uns benutzt im täglichen Leben Heilpflanzen in Form von Tees, chinesische, ayurvedische Mittel, Kräutermischungen etc. Dies soll alles verboten werden! Lest selbst: Ab April 2011 soll das Gesetz für Nahrungsergänzungsmittelund Heilkräuter (THMPD – Traditional Herbal Medical Product Directive) EU-weit durchgesetzt werden.

Das bedeutet:Die auf Teemischungen basierende Kräuterheilkunde wäre dannwahrscheinlich um die Hälfte der dort eingesetzten Kräuter beraubt, da es wenig „wissenschaftliche Forschung“ über gebräuchliche, einheimische Kräuter gibt und diese dann ohne aufwändige Forschung keine Zulassung alsArzneimittel bekämen.

Fast alle chinesischen und ayurvedischen Heilpflanzen und ein guter Teil der europäischen Heilpflanzen sollen mit dieser EU-Novelle verboten undaus dem Handel genommen werden.

Die Gründe liegen auf der Hand: Die Pharmaindustrie hätte dieNaturheilkunde „Schachmatt“ gesetzt und könnte diesen wachsenden Marktfür sich übernehmen.Jetzt sind wir alle gefragt und können noch Einfluss nehmen.In Deinem, Ihrem, Eurem und unserem Interesse.

http://www.gesundheitlicheaufklaerung.de/eu-richtlinie-thmpd-das-aus-fur-heilpflanzen-und-naturheilmittel

www.sourcewatch.org/Global_Corporations

http://anh-europe.org/campaigns

NO PATENTS ON SEEDS AND ANIMALS – Stop the expropriation of farmers and breeders The continuing patenting of seeds, conventional plant varieties andanimal species leads to far-reaching expropriations of farmers andbreeders: farmers are deprived of their rights to save their harvestedseeds, and breeders are under strong limitations to use the patented seedsfreely for further breeding.

The European Patent Office (EPO) has repeatedly broadened the scope ofpatentability and undermined existing restrictions, in the interest ofmultinational companies. Our food security is increasingly dependent ona few transnational chemical and biotechnological companies.

Europe rejects patents on breeding of plants and animals

In a long awaited decision, the European Patent Office (EPO) issued its decision on the so- called ‚Broccoli Patent‘.

In its opinion, the EPO explained that methods for conventional breeding of plants and animals cannot be considered as a technical process and cannot be covered by patents. The decision is binding for all similar cases.

But observers are warning that plants and animals derived from conventional breeding will still be patented, since the decision of the European Patent Office only excludes processes for breeding but does not concern itself with patents on plants and animals. Read more http://www.no-patents-on-seeds.org

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http://www.alpenparlament.tv

Dr. Gottfried Lange über die Hintergründe und Auswirkungen der europäischen Richtlinie zur Verwendung traditioneller pflanzlicher medizinischer Produkte (Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive, THMPD) im Gespräch mit Katrine Eichberger.

Nach offiziellen Angaben dient diese Richtlinie der Vereinheitlichung, Harmonisierung und Qualitätssicherung von Kräuterprodukten – alles also zum Wohle des Konsumenten. Was steckt aber tatsächlich dahinter? Dr. Lange macht im Interview deutlich, dass es bei dieser als auch bei vielen anderen „wohlmeinend erscheinenden“ Änderungen um etwas völlig anderes geht. Da mit natürlichen Heilkräutern viele Krankheiten geheilt werden und die Kräuter nicht patentierbar sind, verlieren die großen Pharmakonzerne eine Menge Geld, und genau dies gilt es zu bekämpfen. Die Menschen sollen lieber krank und angsterfüllt bleiben, denn damit sind sie leichter zu regieren. Dr. Lange zeigt auch auf, wie wir das Problem gemeinsam lösen können.

Spenden für die erfolgreiche Durchführung der Klage gegen die «Traditional Herbal Medical Products Directive» (THMPD) bzw. «Richtlinie für traditionelle pflanzliche medizinische Produkte» vor dem Europäischen Gerichtshof bitte über die Website der Alliance for Natural Health (ANH) – da ist rechts ein Button, über den man spenden kann: www.anh-euroope.org

Was die THMPD ist und was für Auswirkungen diese Richtlinine hat, ist sehr gut auf Deutsch beschrieben ebenfalls auf der ANH-Website: PDF-Datei downloaden.

Das KMU-Handbuch der EU enthält auf Seite 3 ein vollmundiges Bekenntnis zu KMUs = kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen. Mit Richtlinien wie der THMPD tut die EU tatsächlich genau das Gegenteil. KMU-Handbuch als PDF-Datei downloaden.