European Union, regulatory

Sources:
Directorate General for Consumer Affairs and Health (DG SANCO)

EU News

  • Commissioner Byrne visits the US to discuss Biotechnology and Public Health issues
    The Euro-Commissioner for Health Protection and Consumer Affairs will meet American politicians and stakeholders to discuss, among others, the EU policy on food biotechnology (Comment ENTRANSFOOD).
    (Press release, DG SANCO, October 8, 2001)
    October 8, 2001
  • European Commission holds public consultation on biotechnology and life sciences.
    A conference with invited stakeholders was organised centred around a consultation document on biotechnology released by the Commission (Comment ENTRANSFOOD).
    (EC Midday Express, September 26, 2001) September 27-28, 2001
  • Germany’s DFG Senate commission submits policy document on opportunities and risks of genetically modified food
     A report brought out by the German Senate Commission on Genetic Research comments positively on genetically modified foods (Comment ENTRANSFOOD).
    (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, 
    September 21, 2001
    http://www.dfg.de/englishpress/releases/presse_2001_41_eng.html
     Text of the report (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft):
    http://www.dfg.de/aktuell/download/gentech_e.pdf
    September 21, 2001
  • Byrne and Fischler call for political leadership on gmos
     Both Euro-commissioners (Public Health & Consumer Protection; Agriculture) called upon the EU Member States’ ministers of agriculture to show leadership. In addition, all sides were urged to start a debate on GMOs (Comment ENTRANSFOOD).
    (DG Sanco, September 18, 2001) September 18, 2001
  • European Commission seeks public comments on its consultation document on life sciences and biotechnology.
    The EC consultation document discusses, among others, the regulation of genetically modified foods (Comment ENTRANSFOOD).
    (EC Midday Express, September 4, 2001) Consultation document:
    September 4, 2001
  • European Commission proposes new regulations on genetically modified food and -animal feed with more stringent labelling and traceability requirements.
     The proposed regulations engender all genetically modified food- and animal feed- items. Changes to present EU legislation include the mandatory labelling of products derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that do not contain genetically modified DNA or protein. A documentary system for the traceability of GMOs throughout the production chain will be imposed as well (Comment ENTRANSFOOD).(DG Sanco, July 25, 2001)
    Press release: Proposal for EU Regulation on labelling and traceability of GMOs:
    Proposal for EU Regulation on genetically modified foods and -animal feed July 25, 2001

  • European Food Authority: Questions and answers
     The field of work and organisation of the future EFA are described here (Comment ENTRANSFOOD).
    (DG SANCO, May 7):
    May 7, 2001
  • Europarlement sets food safety as priority in 2002 budget resolution
     In strengthening public confidence, the Europarliament states its support for the Veterinary Inspection Offic and the European Food Safety Authority.       
    (Europarlement Daily Notebook, April 3, 2001)
  • EU Commissioners Fischler and Byrne open the public debate on food quality
     (DG Sanco, March 5, 2001)
    March 5, 2001
  • New EU Directive adopted on commercial- and environmental- release of GMOs
     The EU Council of Ministers has adopted the proposed amendments to EU Directive 90/220 for the marketing- and the environmental release- of genetically modified organisms. EU Directives must be incorporated by the EU Member States into their national laws (with some room for national adjustments). The amendments to this Directive would implicate, among others, that some of the presently approved genetically modified crops that contain antibiotic resistance marker genes may be withdrawn from the market by 2008. (Comment ENTRANSFOOD)
    (News-service Council of Ministers, February 15, 2001) New EU Directive 2001/18 with adopted amendments: February 15, 2001
  • Parliament offers mixed biotechnology advice (EuroParlement)
     The European Parliament's Temporary Committee on Human Genetics urges for caution, but nevertheless advises to invest in biotechnological research.        
    (Cordis RTD News 7 feb 2001)
  • Italy prohibits GM maize   
     Bt11, MON809, MON810, T25, lack of substantial equivalenc
    september 2000
  • Germany and Austria disagree with EU’s approval of GM maize
     Germany: Bt176 maize, antibiotic resistance, ecological effects
    Austria: T25 maize, environmental concerns
    november 2000
     
  • Europarlement adopts report on future of biotechnology
     The Europarlement called for, among others, obligatory mutagenicity, carcinogenicity and toxicity tests to be carried out on genetically modified food crops during their pre-market evaluation (page 12). In addition, antibiotic resistance genes should be outlawed (page 27).
  • Development of analytical methods for the identification and determination of genetically modified organisms in food and food ingredients
     Summary of results of two ringtests on detection of Bt176 maize and Roundup Ready soy in the EU.
  • Advance copy of working document of the Commission services on traceability and labelling of GMOs and products derived from GMOs
     Different scenarios are envisioned for an EU framework for detecting and tracing GMOs (under the envisioned revised Directive 90/220 and the proposed Common Food Law)