Brussels, 04/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - Two weeks - that is how long the European Commission has given itself for negotiating an agreement with the United States on a joint sampling and testing protocol for American long grain rice exported to the EU in order to detect with certainty the possible presence of LL601- a GMO which is not authorised in the EU but which is illegally present on the European market. If an agreement is not reached within this time, the Commission will have no other choice but to suggest that Member States carry out systematic tests to verify all long grain rice exports from the United States, although they are certified exempt of LL 601. A proposal along these lines will then be put to Member State experts within the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health.
This was decided by the College of Commissioners, approving, on 4 October, the approach recommended by Markos Kyprianou, Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner, who wished to see the United States more serious in certifying its exports of long grain rice towards the EU.
The recent discovery by Dutch authorities of LL 601 rice in two US cargoes albeit certified exempt of the incriminated GMO was the reason that prompted the new initiative (EUROPE 9266). Philip Tod, spokesman for Commissioner Kyprianou, told the press that the Commission wants to make the American tests more stringent. This approach shows firmness on the Commission's part to ensure that Community law is respected so that only legally EU-authorised GMOs can enter and be established on the European market. (eh)