the 'largest lobby campaign in the history of the European Parliament ( ep )' culminated in a vote on July 16 that demonstrates a deplorable lack of democratic responsibility by the ep , according to ngos and environmentalists. The latter feel that Members of European Parliament ( mep ) voted against the concerns of virtually all sectors of the European civil society, to allow 'patents on life' by adopting the Biotech Patent Directive for the sole benefit of large biotech companies.

In all, 510 parliamentarians voted: 378 for the directive, with 113 against and 19 abstentions. The directive allows for the patenting of genes, plants, animals as well as human materials and body parts as long as they are 'isolated from the human body'.The only living organisms the directive specifically excludes from patenting are 'whole humans' and human embryos.

Churches, doctors, medical associations, patients, farmers, animal and plant breeders, developing countries, environmentalists, animal welfare groups and many others have, in the past months, expressed their strong opposition to the notion of patenting life forms. However, the democratically elected meps have chosen to ignore this statement by their electorate and have instead succumbed to the threats of the multinationals.

A press statement forwarded by groups like Global 2000, Friends of the Earth, Gaia Foundation, the Genetic Resources Action International ( grain ), Greenpeace International, Kein Patent auf Leben and Bundesverband Menschen f