Brussels, 18 Jul 2003
OPINION OF THE COMMISSION
on the European Parliament's amendments to the Council's common position regarding the proposal for a
REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
on genetically modified food and feed
AMENDING THE PROPOSAL OF THE COMMISSION
Full Text
INTRODUCTION
Article 251(2), third subparagraph, point (c) of the EC Treaty provides that the Commission is to deliver an opinion on the amendments proposed by the European Parliament at second reading. The Commission sets out its opinion below on the 9 amendments proposed by the Parliament.
2. BACKGROUND
­ Adoption of the proposal by the Commission on 25 July 2001 and transmission to the Parliament and the Council on 30 July 2001, ( COM(2001) 425 final ­ 2001/0173(COD))
­ Opinion of the Committee of the Regions adopted on 16 May 2002
­ Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee adopted on 30 May 2002
­ Opinion of the European Parliament at first reading adopted on 3 July 2002
­ Transmission of Commission amended proposal to Council and Parliament on 9 October 2002, ( COM(2002) 559 final ­ 2001/0173 (COD))
­ Adoption of Common Position on 17 March 2003
­ Opinion of the European Parliament at second reading adopted on 2 July 2003
3. PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSAL
The objectives of the proposal, which results from the White Paper on Food Safety, are:
­ to provide the basis for ensuring a high level of protection of human life and health, animal health, environment and consumers' interest in relation to genetically modified food and feed, whilst ensuring the effective functioning of the internal market; - ­ to lay down centralised Community procedures for the assessment (central role of the European Food Safety Authority), authorisation (comitology procedure) and supervision of genetically modified food and feed;
­ to lay down comprehensive requirements for the labelling of genetically modified food and feed, with the aim of providing the consumers and users with a real choice.
The proposal covers genetically modified organisms for food and feed use as well as food and feed containing, consisting of, or produced from genetically modified organisms.
The proposal extends the current labelling provisions to all genetically modified food and feed irrespective of the detectability of DNA and protein. The applicability of this requirement will be ensured through the provisions laid down in the draft Regulation concerning the traceability and labelling of genetically modified organisms and traceability of food and feed products produced from genetically modified organisms.
In order to ensure the feasibility and practicability of the proposed Regulation, provisions regarding derogation for adventitious or technically unavoidable presence of genetically modified organisms in food/feed are laid down in the authorisation and in the labelling sections of the proposal. In order to ensure consistency, it is proposed that Directive 2001/18/EC be amended accordingly.
4. OPINION OF THE COMMISSION ON THE AMENDMENTS BY THE EUROPEAN
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Brussels, 17.07.2003 COM(2003) 459 final 2001/0173 (COD)