Brussels, 26/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - On 26 March, authorisation was granted for the placing on the market of three varieties of oilseed rape, known as Ms8, Rf3 and Ms8xRf3, from the Bayer company, genetically modified for tolerance to the herbicide glufosinate-ammonium.
The authorisation, which is valid for ten years, covers the import and use of Ms8, Rf3 and Ms8xRf3 oilseed rapes as animal feed, but not cultivation or food uses. It was granted by the European Commission, on its own initiative, under the terms of current regulatory framework (directive 2001/18/EC on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms - GMOs), which established the authorisation procedures in the EU for the placing of GMOs on the market. By virtue of European regulation on labelling and traceability of GMO or GMO-based foodstuffs and animal feeds (regulations 1829/2003/EC and 1830/EC), products containing Ms8, Rf3 or Ms8xRf3 will need to be clearly labelled as containing genetically modified oilseed rape.
Processed oil derived from these GM oilseed rapes has already been approved for food use in 1999 and 2000 in the EU.
The initial request, submitted by Bayer in 2003 to the Belgian authorities was for import, processing, feed use and cultivation.
The decision to authorise is based on the scientific advice of the member states and on the opinion of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The Belgian authorities came to the conclusion that these genetically modified oilseed rapes were as safe as conventional oilseed rapes, but rejected the requested use of cultivation. EFSA, which focused on the scientific issues raised by competent authorities from the other Member States, also concluded that Ms8, Rf3 and Ms8xRf3 oilseed rapes were as safe as conventional oilseed rapes.
Experts from the member states, meeting in the Regulatory Committee established under Directive 2001/18 on the deliberate release into the environment of GMOs, failed to give an opinion on the authorisation proposal put forward by the European Commission within the set timescale. In September 2006, the Commission submitted a proposal to the Council, which failed to reach a qualified majority either for or against. Consequently, the Commission was empowered to decide. It has just delivered a decision, designed, it says “to ensure that this legal framework is correctly and fully applied by Member States”.
This is the sixth authorising decision to be issued under Directive 2001/187/EC. Various varieties of genetically modified maize and one variety of oilseed rape have already been authorised in the EU: NK 603 maize (in July 2003), MON 863 maize (August 2005), oilseed rape GT 73 (August 2005), 1507 maize (November 2005), MON 863xMON 810 hybrid maize (January 2006). (an)