European Commission Genetically modified food and feed

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Publications : Agriculture : Biotechnology : Policy



Genetically modified food and feed

COM(2006) 626 final Brussels, 25.10.2006 (214 Kb PDF)

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT on the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council on genetically modified food and feed.

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Regulation (EC) No 1829/20031 on GM food and feed (€the Regulation€) has applied since 18 April 2004. It covers genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for food and feed use, food/feed containing or consisting of GMOs and food/feed produced from GMOs. This scope of application is large since all GMOs that may be used as food or feed or as a source material for the production of food or feed are considered as GMOs for food and feed use. It establishes a centralised procedure of authorisation by the European Commission based on an independent risk assessment carried out by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), rules for labelling and thresholds for presence of GM material that is adventitious or technically unavoidable. The risk assessment as provided for in the Regulation includes in particular a safety assessment of the GM food and/or GM feed as well as, as the case may be, an environmental risk assessment.

In the case of GMOs for cultivation falling in the scope of the Regulation, EFSA shall ask a national competent authority (CA) under Directive 2001/18/EC to carry out the environmental risk assessment. In all cases where an environmental safety assessment is required, EFSA has to consult the national CA under Directive 2001/18/EC of each Member State. The Commission was to adopt the necessary implementing rules and guidelines as well as to establish the Community register of GM food and feed.

The Commission is also required to monitor the application of the Regulation and its impact on human and animal health, consumer protection, consumer information and the functioning of the internal market.

According to Article 48 of the Regulation the Commission is to forward to the European Parliament and to the Council a report on the implementation of this Regulation and in particular of Article 473. Article 48 states that the report should be accompanied, where appropriate, by any suitable proposal.

This doccument covers this need.

Contents

1. Introduction
2. The placing on the market of genetically modified food and feed since the date of application of the Regulation

2.1. Authorisation procedure under the Regulation
2.1.1. Presentation of the authorisation procedure
2.1.2. CRL, ENGL and validation of detection methods
2.1.3. Comments of the public
2.1.4. Public access
2.1.5. Practical experience of the authorisation procedure
2.1.6. Practical improvements of the authorisation procedure
2.2. Authorisation of food and feed according to the transitional measures provided for by Article 46 of the Regulation
2.3. Notification of products legally placed on the market before the date of application of the Regulation

3. Labelling of GM food and feed

3.1. Occurrence on the market of food labelled as genetically modified
3.2. Occurrence on the market of feed labelled as genetically modified

4. Unauthorised products

4.1. Unauthorised GM papaya
4.2. Contamination of GM maize imported from the United States by unauthorised GM maize Bt 10
4.3. Contamination of rice imported from the United States by unauthorised GM rice LL601
4.4. Conclusions

5. Food Veterinary Office: outcome of inspections carried out in thirteen Member States
6. Activities of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFCAH)
7. Adoption of implementing rules and guidelines
8. Interplay between Directive 2001/18/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 relating to Existing products and Feed produced from GMO
9. Measures for adventitious or technically unavoidable presence of genetically modified material not authorised under Community legislation
10. Status of food or feed produced by fermentation using genetically modified microorganisms not present in the final product

10.1. Background
10.2. Clarification of the status of food or feed produced by fermentation using genetically modified micro-organisms not present in the final product
10.3. Application of the clarification to food products and processing aids
10.4. Application of the clarification to feed products and processing aids
10.5. Guidelines on the Safety assessment of food or feed produced by fermentation using genetically modified micro-organisms
10.6. Conclusions

11. Clarifications related to some aspects of the labelling provision of the Regulation..
12. Conclusions
ANNEX