Brussels, 23/08/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 23 August the European Commission adopted a decision requiring imports of long grain rice from the USA to be certified as free from the unauthorised GMO LL Rice 601 (produced by Bayer CropScience), which had been found in samples of commercial rice on the US market (EUROPE 9248. The emergency measures adopted by the Commission takes immediate effect for an initial period of six months, only consignments of US long grain rice that have been tested by an accredited laboratory using a validated testing method and accompanied by a certificate assuring the absence of LL Rice 601, can enter the EU. Member States authorities are responsible for controlling the imports at their borders and for preventing any contaminated consignments from being placed on the market. Business operators importing rice from the USA also have responsibility for ensuring that LL Rice 601 does not enter the EU food chain and that imports are certified as free from this unauthorised GMO.