At the meeting of the standing committee on the food chain and animal health on 8 December, member states were asked to give an opinion on the draft Commission decision authorising the placing on the market of sweet corn from a genetically modified maize line Bt 11, as a novel food or novel food ingredient, under Regulation (EC) 258/97 of the European Parliament and the Council. The Irish representative at the meeting indicated that Ireland supported the Commission proposal. This decision was against the background of the scientific risk assessment undertaken on this product, initially by the Netherlands' 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 conventional sweet maize.
Ireland's position also reflected the fact that safeguard measures on labelling and traceability are now in place, following the completion of the European legislative framework for GMOs earlier this year. In this regard, two regulations have been adopted which establish a clear EU system to trace and label GMOs and to regulate the placing on the market and labelling of food and feed products derived from GMOs. This new legislation ensures full traceability of GMOs throughout the chain from farm to table and provides consumers with comprehensive information by labelling all food and feed consisting of, containing or produced from a GMO. Sweet maize from genetically modified maize line Bt 11 and any food containing same as an ingredient will be required to comply with the provisions of these new regulations.