Często zadawane pytania

There are EU directives relating to the authorisation of GM foods and a separate directive relating to novel foods. What is the difference between these directives regarding to the process of authorisation?

Anne-Marie Craig, Ireland

Until 18 April 2004, Genetically Modified (GM) food was regulated as novel food.
Under the Novel Foods Regulation (EC) No 258/97 a novel food is defined as a food that does not have a significant history of consumption within the EU prior to May 1997.
Novel foods and novel ingredients are subject to a pre-market safety assessment before a decision of approval is made on EU-wide authorisation. For example, if exotic foods such as the kiwi (origin : New Zealand) were imported or grown in Europe today for the first time, it would need to be assessed by the EU novel food regulation. A thorough safety assessment would be required before it could be launched on the market. The approval decision is decided upon voting by Member states based on the a Commission proposal.

Since 18 April 2004, a new regulation has become effective on GM Food and Feed. These are now regulated in the European Community under Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 on genetically modified food and feed. It provides for a single Community procedure for the new authorisation of all food and feed derived from a GMO and, as the case may be, of the GMO itself as a food or as a feed, and of food or feed containing the GMO. As for the "novel foods", the approval decision is decided upon voting by Member states based on the a Commission proposal. There is a possibility for Commission taking a final decision if an agreement cannot be reached in between member states. However the introduction of a genetically modified food product in the European market is strictly regulated and is dependent on an extensive food safety evaluation. Genetically modified plants are firmly checked for their safety and only plants that are regarded as safe are admitted.

There is also directive 2001/18 which covers the cultivation of a GMO including food crops within the EC. This directive requires that a thorough environmental risk assessment is conducted including an evaluation of the impact of the cultivation of the GM crop on farmland ecology. The food and feed safety evaluation is similar to the requirements for the other directives described above.

Często zadawane pytania

There are EU directives relating to the authorisation of GM foods and a separate directive relating to novel foods. What is the difference between these directives regarding to the process of authorisation?

Anne-Marie Craig, Ireland

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