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EU Regulatory framework on GMOs

EU Regulatory framework on GMOs. Marco Valletta DG Health and Consumer Protection European Commission. Overview. EU legal framework Scope of the legal acts and their interaction The authorisation procedure State of play concerning new authorisations The so-called “existing products”

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EU Regulatory framework on GMOs

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  1. EU Regulatory framework on GMOs Marco Valletta DG Health and Consumer Protection European Commission

  2. Overview • EU legal framework • Scope of the legal acts and their interaction • The authorisation procedure • State of play concerning new authorisations • The so-called “existing products” • Labelling rules and thresholds • Conclusions Marco Valletta

  3. EU legislative framework in the 90s • Directive 90/220/EC • On the deliberate release of GMOs • first GM products approved: maize, soy, oilseed r. • Regulation (EC) N. 258/97 on Novel Foods • Notification of GM food and food ingredients • 7 oilseed rape, 4 maize, oil from 2 cottonseeds Marco Valletta

  4. 18 April 2004 – New legislative framework Marco Valletta

  5. Directive 2001/18/EC • Directive 2001/18/EC on the deliberate release into the environment of GMOs • Clear definition of GMO and relative techniq. • Scope: product containing GMOs or consisting of such organisms • The experimental release of GMOs into the environment (for example field trials) • The placing on the market of GMOs ( for ex. cultivation, importation or transformation) Marco Valletta

  6. Scope of Directive 2001/18 and Regulation 1829/2003 Directive 2001/18 “living” GMOs Reg. 1829/2003 Food/feed consisting, containing or produced from a GMO Marco Valletta

  7. Interaction between Directive 2001/18 and Regulation 1829/2003 Food/feed consisting of or containing a GMo GMOs not for food /feed use, ie GM carnation Food/feed produced from a GMO Marco Valletta

  8. One door one key principle • For products containing/consisting of GMOs: • EITHER one single application under Reg. 1829/2003 covering both of food/feed use and the deliberate release of GMOs into the environment - in accordance with the criteria of Dir. 2001/18 • OR the application — or part of the application — can be split and submitted separately under Dir. 2001/18 and Reg. 1829/2003 . • GMOs likely to be used as food and feed can only be authorised for both uses after Starlink case Marco Valletta

  9. New legislative framework • Principles • Centralised and transparent authorisation procedure with a clear time frame • New rules on traceability and labelling • Applies on newly authorised and existing products • Clarifies what is currently on the market Marco Valletta

  10. The authorisation procedure (1) • General overview • Risk assessment: European Food Safety Authority • Risk management: European Commission through a regulatory committee procedure Marco Valletta

  11. The authorisation procedure (2) • First step - Application • Submitted to the competent authority of a MS • The application dossier has to include: • definition of the scope • safety dossier with the indication of confidential parts • monitoring plan • proposal of a detection method • Receipt in 14 days and inform EFSA Marco Valletta

  12. The authorisation procedure (3) • EFSA – Risk assessment • GMO Panel – independent scientists • Both envir. risk and human and animal health • Timeframe: 6 months unless further information needed Guidance documents: http://www.efsa.eu.int Marco Valletta

  13. The authorisation procedure (4) • Commission role – Risk management • Draft decision granting/refusing authoris. (3 months) • Justification if diverging from EFSA opinion • Proposal to be approved by a qualified majority in the SCOFCAH (Member States representatives) • IF No QM  Council of Ministers • IF Council no action or no QM  Commission adopts the decision (3 months) Marco Valletta

  14. The authorisation procedure (5) • Authorisation • Granted for 10 years • Renewable for 10-year periods • Subject to a post-market monitoring • Authorised products shall be entered in the public register of GM food and feed Marco Valletta

  15. State of play of new applications • 14 applications received since full applicability of Regulation • GM food and feed uses, import and processing, no cultivation • Most of them maize (8), but also 3 cotton, 1 rice, 1 sugar beet and 1 potato variety Marco Valletta

  16. Marco Valletta

  17. 1507 GM maize – 1st product under the new framework • EFSA opinion on 3 of March 2005 • Commission put authorisation proposal to vote after three months (03/06/2005) • No QM in the SCOFCAH  to the Council Marco Valletta

  18. 1507 GM maize – the interaction between different legal acts • Authorisation as food under Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 on GM food and feed • Authorisation for import and processing under Directive 2001/18 – indicative vote on the 7 of March resulted in no QM • Authorisation for cultivation under Directive 2001/18 Marco Valletta

  19. Categories of GM food and feed on the EU Market • Newly authorised products under Reg. (EC) No 1829/2003 • Newly authorised products under Novel Food Regulation • Existing products that were already on the market on the 18 April 2004 Marco Valletta

  20. Newly authorised products under Novel Food Regulation • Upgraded to the standards of Regulation 1829/2003 on GM food and feed • Bt11 and NK 603 maize authorised in 2004 • GA 21 and MON 863 maize in the pipeline for 2005 Marco Valletta

  21. Existing products: Notification until 18 October 2004 • Food and feed, that fall into the scope of the Regulation and are on the market needed to be notified to the Commission • 26 existing products were notified • Existing products are subject to the requirements of the new legislation • Data package • Labelling and traceability requirements • Validation of detection method Marco Valletta

  22. Notified food products • GMOs authorised under Directive 90/220 • GM food and ingredients notified under the Novel Food Regulation • GM food/feed that were already on the market and were not subject to a specific authorisation (for ex. food additives produced from GMOs) Marco Valletta

  23. Notified products: Examination until 18 April 2005 • Commission examined the notified products • Notifying companies requested to submit further information if necessary • Validation of detection methods to be completed Marco Valletta

  24. On 18 April 2005 – Entry into Register of GM food and feed • All the 26 notifications accepted  entry into Register of GM food and feed (12 maize, 6 oilseed rape, 5 cotton, 1 soybean, biomass, yeast cream) http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/food/biotechnology/authorisation/commun_register_en.htm • Can remain on the market 3-9y then renewal • Some products were not notified – measures need to be taken to withdraw these from the market • 3 products notified under Novel Food Regulation • Possibly more Marco Valletta

  25. Labelling rules • GM products have to be labelled • According to Reg. (EC) No. 1830/2003 • “This product contains GMOs” or • “This product contains GM [name of the organism]” Pre-packaged  on a label Non pre-packaged on the display or in connection with the product Marco Valletta

  26. Labelling rules • According to Reg. (EC) No. 1829/2003 • Compulsory GM labelling for food and feed indicating • “genetically modified” • “contains/produced from GM.[name of the organism]” • Labelling requirements apply regardless of the presence of modified DNA or proteins highly refined products and compound feed included • Not for products obtained from animals fed with GM feed or treated with GM medicines Marco Valletta

  27. Thresholds • Labelling and traceability requirements do NOT apply in case of adventitious or technically unavoidable presence IF • Traces of an authorised GMOs below the limit of 0.9% • Operators have to prove that they have taken adequate measures to avoid the presence Marco Valletta

  28. Thresholds • Adventitious presence (burden of proof to the operators) of an unauthorised GMO • Positive assessment by an EU Scientific Committee is necessary • The threshold is fixed at 0.5% Belowlabelling and traceability not enforced Aboveprohibition to put the product on the market Marco Valletta

  29. Are there labelled products on the market? • Recent discussion in a WG of national experts • November 2004: 77 GM labelled products on the markets of 10 EU countries (mostly in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Czech and Slovak Republics) • Strong resistance from the consumers’ side Marco Valletta

  30. Implementation of the new legal framework • The framework is being successfully implemented • Major challenges: • Missing data for safety assessment or validation of detection method  EFSA “clock” not started or stopped • Lacking support of Member States to the authorisation process  final decision is left to Commission • Report on implementation is due by November 2005  questionnaires to MS and stakeholders • Room for amendments Marco Valletta

  31. Summary • The new regulatory framework is implemented • A transparent and timely authorisation procedure based on sound scientific assessment is in force • The authorisation process has gained momentum • GM foods and feed are already on the EU market although still the object of public resistance • GM products have to be labelled according to the EU legislation Marco Valletta

  32. Conclusion • In the meeting of 22 March 2005 the Eur. Comm. engaged itself to the respect and full implementation of the described legal framework • The respect of the EU rules (esp. traceability and labelling) by our trading partners is essential to win consumers’ confidence Marco Valletta

  33. More info http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/food/ biotechnology/index_de.htm Marco Valletta

  34. Thank you! Marco Valletta

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