10/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - EU28 agree on final compromise. On Wednesday 10 June, the ambassadors of the member states to the EU (Coreper) ratified a final compromise on the December 2013 proposal to amend the Novel Food Regulation (258/97) by simplifying the authorisation procedure. The text agreed picks up the European Parliament's amendments which are intended to facilitate the implementation of these novel foods and make it less costly, while keeping a high level of protection for human health (see EUROPE 11314 and 11204). The text is therefore expected to introduce a centralised authorisation procedure and to facilitate access to the traditional foods of third countries, but it is expected to cover nano-materials and foods derived from cloned animals explicitly until the entry into force of specific rules applicable to this type of food. It is on this basis that the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU is to propose a first reading agreement to the Parliament. The Parliament will give its decision on 4 July. (AN)