EC Commission authorises GMOs for food/feed uses and GM carnations

The Commission has adopted ten new authorisations for GMOs for food/feed use, seven renewals of existing authorisations and also the authorisation for the importation of two GMO cut flowers (not for food or feed). These GMOs had gone through a full authorisation procedure, including a favourable scientific assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), according to a press release. The authorisation decisions do not cover cultivation.

The GMOs approved had received "no opinion" votes from Member States in both the Standing and Appeal Committees, since no qualified majority either in favour or against was expressed. The Commission adopted these pending decisions, as required by the current GMO legal framework. Authorisations were not granted during the past months whilst a review of the decision making procedure on GMO authorisations was ongoing. The outcome of that review was presented on 22 April with the adoption of a communication reviewing the process for the authorisation of GMOs and a legislative proposal in order to amend Regulation 1829/2003 on food and feed (IP/15/4777, MEMO/15/4778 and MEMO/15/4779). Until the new proposal will be adopted by Parliament and Council, the authorisations process has to be based on the current applicable legislative framework.

The GM food and feed authorisations will be added to the existing list of 58 GMOs authorised in the EU for food and feed uses (covering maize, cotton, soybean, oilseed rape, sugar beet). The authorisations are valid for 10 years, and any products produced from these GMOs will be subject to the EU's labelling and traceability rules. The list of authorised GM plants and the precise scope of their authorisation is available in the EU register of GM food and feed, which can be found here.