Failure to reach agreement on GM maize Line 1507: Agriculture and Fisheries Council, 20-22 December

Brussels, 23 December 2005

GM LINE 1507 (13042/05, 14565/1/05)

The Council has not reached agreement on the proposal for a Decision authorising the placing on the market of food containing genetically modified maize line 1507. As the required qualified majority for adoption or rejection of the proposal has not been obtained, the file will be forwarded to the Commission for a decision to be taken.

The proposal is based on Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 on genetically modified food and feed, and applies, inter alia, the specific requirements of the latter with regard to labelling, monitoring for environmental effects, and entry into the Community register. It also provides for notification of the Decision to the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1946/2003 .

On 3 March 2005 the European Food Safety Authority gave its opinion stating that there was no evidence indicating that the placing on the market of these food products was likely to cause adverse effects on human or animal health or on the environment. On 3 June 2005 a draft Commission Decision authorising the food products in question was put to the vote in the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, which was unable to deliver an opinion.

02nd Council Meeting - Agriculture and Fisheries. Brussels, 20-22 December 2005
Full report
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News release 15479/05 (Presse 349)