More freedom for Member States to decide on the use of GMOs in food and feed
Today, the Commission presents the results of its review regarding the decision making process for the authorization of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food and feed.
This revision stems from the political guidelines presented to Parliament in July 2014, the grounds for which the current Commission was chosen. The review confirms the need for changes that properly reflect of the views of the general public as well as the need for national governments to have more control and freedom in deciding whether or not to allow use of EU authorized GMOs for consumption by animals (feed) or people (food). With this revision, the Commission proposes to allow Member States more freedom to restrict or ban the use of EU-authorized GMOs for food and feed.
Vytenis Andriukaitis, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: “I am pleased to deliver on one of the important commitments taken by this Commission, reviewing the legislation on the decision-making process on GMOs. The Commission has listened to the concerns of many European citizens, reflected in the positions expressed by their national governments. Once adopted, today’s proposal will, fully in line with the principle of subsidiarity, grant Member States a greater say as regards the use of EU- authorised GMOs in food and feed on their respective territories.”
The proposal adopted by the Commission today is a strong signal to citizens that Europe takes into account their concerns, concerns which may vary from country to country. The new approach aims at obtaining a balance between maintaining an EU authorization system and the freedom for Member States to make their own decisions about the use of GMOs in their territory. However, since it is of the utmost importance that a single risk management system is maintained – as this ensures an equal level of protection throughout the EU – the authorization system currently implemented, based on science and labelling regulations, will not be changed. What will change is that once a GMO is approved for use in the general public, Member States will be permitted to decide whether or not they wish to allow said GMO in their ecosystems.
Member States will have to demonstrate that their opt-out procedures are compatible with European law. This includes the principles of the Internal Market as well as the International Obligations of the EU, as these principles are an integral part of the WTO. Opt-outs will be based on legitimate grounds other than those assessed at EU level, i.e. risk to human or animal health and the environment.
This proposal enhances similar rights that the Member States received earlier this month thanks to Directive (EU) 2015/412 recently reached between the European Parliament and the Council. Consequently, the EU now has a consistent set of rules for the authorization of GMOs for cultivation and food and feed, taking into account the individual concerns of Member States.
This legislative proposal will now be forwarded to the European Parliament and the Council under the ordinary legislative procedure.
