Brussels, 03/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - New rules adopted by the European Commission on Wednesday 3 April aim to clarify the obligations on companies putting requests to the European Commission for authorisation in the EU for a GMO destined for human or animal food.
The clarifications introduced by the new regulation focus on the protocols to be used by companies applying for authorisation for their genetically modified products, applications for re-examination of scientific data once new studies are available and quality assurance requirements applicable to the scientific studies carried out on GMOs. This new regulation also brings in an obligation for companies to carry out 90-day tests on rats to evaluate the safety of GMOs for which there is a protocol established by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on the basis of OECD protocols for the assessment of the risks of chemicals.
The text provides for a transitional period of six months to allow companies to come into line with these new rules, which will enter into force 20 days after the regulation has been published in the Official Journal of the EU. On 25 February of this year, the experts of the member states, meeting within the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, gave their approval to the draft submitted to them by the Commission. (AN/transl.fl)