03/03/2010

Within the current legal framework, as decided by the Council and the European Parliament, the European Commission today adopted two decisions concerning the genetically modified Amflora potato: the first authorises the cultivation of Amflora in the EU for industrial use, and the second relates to the use of Amflora’s starch by-products as feed.

The European Commission also adopted three decisions on the placing on the market of three GM maize products for food and feed uses but not for cultivation. All five authorisations were subjected to the highest scrutiny, ensuring all concerns regarding the presence of an antibiotic resistance marker gene were fully addressed. The Decision to authorise the cultivation of Amflora is the end of a process which started in Sweden in January 2003 and is based on a considerable volume of sound science.

Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner, John Dalli noted:

“Responsible innovation will be my guiding principle when dealing with innovative technologies. After an extensive and thorough review of the five pending GM files, it became clear to me that there were no new scientific issues that merited further assessment. All scientific issues, particularly those concerning safety, have been fully addressed. Any delay would have simply been unjustified. By taking these decisions, the European Commission fulfils its role in a responsible manner. These decisions are based on a series of favourable safety assessments carried out over the years by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). In parallel we have today launched a reflection on how to combine a European authorisation system with the freedom of Member States to decide on cultivation on GMO’s.”

In line with the political guidelines of President Barroso of September 2009, Commissioner Dalli has been asked to come forward with a proposal by the summer setting out how a Community authorisation system, based on science, can be combined with freedom for Member States to decide whether or not they wish to cultivate GM crops on their territory.

After a comprehensive authorisation procedure, which started in 2003, and repeated favourable scientific opinions, the Commission decided to authorise Amflora. This GM potato is to be used for the production of starch suitable for industrial applications, for example in paper production. This innovative technology helps to optimise the production process and to save raw materials, energy, water and oil based chemicals.

The decision provides for strict cultivation conditions to prevent the possibility that GM potatoes will remain in the fields after harvest and to ensure that Amflora’s seed will not be inadvertently disseminated into the wider environment. A complementary authorisation will be issued in order to cover the by-products of the starch extraction when they are used as feed.

The European Commission also adopted today three decisions authorising GM maize MON863xMON810, MON863xNK603, MON863xMON810xNK603, for food and feed uses and in import and processing.

The three GM maize products received a positive opinion from EFSA and underwent a comprehensive authorisation procedure as set out under EU legislation. They are produced by conventional crossing of two or three GM maize, namely MON863, NK603 and MON810, which are already authorised in the EU for food and feed uses and for import and processing.

The presence of an antibiotic resistance marker gene in the starch of the GM potato and the three GM maize products was subjected to the highest scrutiny. EFSA examined this assessment and issued a separate favourable opinion on 11 June 2009.

The authorisations are valid for 10 years.

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