Brussels, 03/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 3 March, the Commission decided off its own bat to authorise the marketing of genetically modified maize 1507 to be used as a legal food ingredient or food or by-product such as oil and starch. Once again, it was the inability of Member States on 20 December to reach the qualified majority required to approve rejection of this authorisation for the modified maize, which allowed the Commission to take its decision in line with comitology rules in force. The decision is based on the European Food Safety Authority( EFSA) opinion in favour on 3 March 2005. It was taken for the first time under the regulation concerning genetically modified foodstuffs and animal feed (Regulation 1829/2003/EC), and will therefore impose labelling and traceability obligations on this maize, obligations that are enforced in the EU for feed or food containing GMOs. We recall that the regulation introduces the possibility for the notifying company to make a single notification for GMOs and all their uses (crops, processing for industrial purposes, food). The genetic modification undergone by 1507 maize makes it resistant to certain maize parasites of the Lepidoptera kind (butterflies, mites and around 300 insects of this kind) and tolerant to the herbicide, glufosinate ammonium. The request for initial authorisation had been notified by Pioneer Hi-Bred International/Mycogen Seeds with Dutch authorities, then the Commission.
In November 2005, maize 1507 had already been authorised for imports to be used in the EU as fodder.