Brussels, 09/08/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Commission's new proposals relating to the labelling and traceability of food products containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or GMO derivatives have led to very contrasted reactions: mitigate for the defenders of the environment (see Greenpeace's praises and reservations in EUROPE of 27 July, p.6) and consumer representatives, but very critical on the part of industrialists.
Speaking on behalf of the European Consumers' Organisation (Beuc), Willemien Bax, its Deputy Director, declared: "At first sight, these proposals move a long way towards giving consumers the possibility, previously denied to them, to choose whether or not to eat food and food ingredients derived from GMOs. It is now clear that European consumers will never accept GM food if it is forced on them. The system proposed for the first time really addresses the key consumer rights to both information and choice". Beuc welcomes the fact that: - the future legislation will cover the authorisation, traceability, control and labelling of GMOs by introducing the same requirements for food for humans and that of animals; - the compulsory labelling of derived products (such as sugar from GMO sugar beet), irrespective of the presence of GMO derived protein or DNA, will ensure that GMO-linked information is provided on products that make up a very large part of most consumer diets; - the suggested tracing system - from farm to fork - is key for withdrawal of products in cases of risk to human health or the environment, monitoring, and control and verification of labelling claims.
Like Greenpeace, however, Beuc regards of concern the fact that the Commission should have recognised as "technically inevitable" accidental contamination of conventional seeds by GMOs unauthorised in the Union. Whence, Beuc wants the following questions raised: - whether all appropriate steps have been taken to avoid contamination? - whether the product has been the subject of positive risk assessment procedures under Directive 2001/18/EC for live GMOs and under the relevant procedures dealing with novel food and feed? - whether appropriate risk management decisions are being made? - whether validated testing and sampling methods have been developed? - whether suitable reference material is available to assist in the assessment(s)?. Beuc is counting on the European Parliament and Member States to ask the right questions and answer them in the months to come.
Food and drink industry regards proposals as impracticable
Among the industrialists in the food and drink industry, the Commission's proposals raise concern and perplexity as to the proportionality, workability, practicability and enforceability of the regulatory provisions. In a press release, the CIAA (Confederation of Food and Drink Industries of the EU), states that: a) the objective to reassure consumers will not be achieved because labelling provisions will be difficult to enforce and control; b) the EU Industry will face increased burden and an important competitive disadvantage on a global level. The CIAA rejects the Commission's claim by which the proposals will provide "a trustworthy and environmentally safe approach to GMOs, GM food and GM feed". It considers, on the contrary, that "technology-based" labelling will lead to the labelling of products as "produced from GMOs but not containing GMOs" when they do not, in fact, contain any residual DNA or protein. "The products will be analytically indistinguishable from identity-preserved non-genetically modified products. Conversely, products that do contain modified DNA or protein will not have to be labelled, provided their inclusion is accidental", the CIAA observes. In addition, the Confederation underpins, the proposed changes to the current regulatory regime on the traceability of GM-derived food products cannot be enforced or controlled in third countries. According to the CIAA, traceability of foods and food ingredients should not be limited to GMOs but should be addressed in the context of food safety as it is appropriately done in the Commission proposal establishing the general principles of food law in the Union. Regarding as unjustified the new constraints that will be imposed on the labelling of GMO-derived products, at the price of "unwarranted barriers to innovation", the CIAA considers that "the Commission should have considered the development of a regulatory system responding to criteria such as safety, proportionality, economics and enforceability so as to ensure the continued competitiveness of business in the EU".