Mary Upton
Question:104 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on recent developments in relation to genetically modified foods at a European level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25592/03]
Written Answers. - Genetically Modified Organisms.
The European legislative framework for genetically modified organisms was recently completed by the adoption of two new regulations, Reg 1829/2003/EC on genetically modified food and feed and Reg 1830/2003/EC on traceability and labelling of GMOs. The EU has the most rigorous pre-marketing assessment of GM food and feed in the world. The safety of GM products will be independently assessed by the European Food Safety Authority and consumers will have a clear choice of products to buy as GM food will now be more clearly labelled. The EU will have a comprehensive and transparent system of authorisation and labelling that can only enhance consumer confidence. I am satisfied, therefore, that appropriate arrangements are in place to ensure the safety of authorised GM foods, or foods containing geneti cally modified ingredients placed on the market in Ireland.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland is the competent authority in Ireland for the enforcement of EU legislation regarding the genetic modification of foodstuffs. The authority carries out checks on the marketplace for compliance with GM legislation. I am advised that it is satisfied, based on current scientific opinion, that GM products authorised within the EU are safe for human consumption. Three main legal instruments constitute the EU legislative framework on genetically modified organisms. The first of these is a regulation on GM food and feed, Regulation (EC) No. 1829/2003, which is in force since 7 November 2003 and will have to be applied after a transitional period from April 2004. It replaces the GM part of Regulation (EC) No. 258/97 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 1997 concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients. Products from 16 GMOs can legally be marketed in the EU. These include soya, maize, processed foods derived from oilseed rape and maize and oil from cottonseeds. These products have all been notified as substantially equivalent in accordance with the novel food regulation.
Article 46(1) of Regulation 1829/2003 on GM food and feed provides that applications for the authorisation of a GM food made under the novel foods regulation which have received a final scientific assessment before the coming into application of the new regulation are still to be processed under the novel foods regulation. Authorisation for a GM food will include labelling and traceability provisions as required by the new legislation. Eight GM products are pending authorisation under the novel food regulation, including maize, soybean and sugar beet. The scientific risk assessment has been finished for two of the applications, a GM sweet maize, Bt-11, and a GM field corn, GA-21. The EU Standing Committee of the Food Chain and Animal Health's opinion on the European Commission draft decision to authorise Bt-11 could be expressed as early as the next meeting in December, if it is approved by qualified majority. If no qualified majority is obtained, the decision will be referred to Council, which will have three months to act and to adopt or reject the proposed decision by qualified majority. If the Council decides not to act, it will be open to the Commission to take a decision.
The Irish representative at the meeting of the standing committee on 10 November indicated that Ireland could support the Commission draft decision regarding the authorisation of Bt-11 sweet maize at the December meeting. This decision was against the background of the scientific risk assessment undertaken on this product, initially by the Dutch competent food assessment body and subsequently by the EU Scientific Committee on Food, which concluded that Bt-11 sweet maize is as safe for human food use as con ventional sweet maize. Ireland's position reflects the fact that safeguard measures on labelling and traceability are in place, following the completion of the European legislative framework for GMOs earlier this year.
The EFSA is evaluating an application concerning a GM maize line, NK603. Its opinion is expected in December. The Commission is preparing the request for advice from the EFSA on two other maize lines, MON 863 and MON 810 X MON863. In both cases, the Commission has to await the advice from the EFSA before proceeding with these applications. The four remaining applications are currently in the first stage of the authorisation process and are still undergoing risk assessment by a competent authority in a member state. It is therefore difficult to predict when these products will be ready for authorisation.
The second main EU legal instrument is a regulation on traceability and labelling of GMOs and traceability of food and feed produced from GMOs, Regulation (EC) No. 1830/2003, laying down comprehensive traceability requirements for GMOs as well as food and feed produced from GMOs. The regulation enters into force on 7 November 2003. The third main EU legal instrument contains the rules regarding the deliberate release of GMOs into the environment, Directive 2001/18/EC, which replaces Directive 90/220/EEC. This directive is applicable since 17 October 2002. Some 18 GMOs have been approved under Directive 90/220/EEC for different uses, some for cultivation, some for import and processing, some as feed, some as food. In terms of crops species, these GMOs include maize, oil seed rape, soybean and chicory. Some 21 applications for the placing on the market of GMOs have been submitted into the authorisation procedure under Directive 2001/18/EC, including maize, oil seed rape, sugar beet, soy beans, cotton, rice and fodder beet. Eleven of these applications have scopes restricted to import and processing, while the remainder also include cultivation as a requested use.