EU lists legal GM products
Following the recent illegal import of Bt10 genetically altered corn to France and Spain from the US, the European Commission has published a list of 26 biotechnology products which have been approved for use across the 25 Member States. The products listed include 12 varieties of corn, six varieties of oilseed rape, five of cotton and one of soybean, one biomass product and one yeast cream. It is hoped this list will clear up confusion following recent events. 'This register is an important tool to clarify the legal status of GMOs [genetically modified organisms] allowed for sale in the EU before the current legislation entered into force in April 2004,' explains Markos Kyprianou, EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection. 'The register makes it clear which products can legally be sold in the EU, although in reality many of these products may not currently be on the EU market.' The 26 products were either approved under former EU legislation or did not require approval at the time they were put on the market. Since they were not subject to the strict new legislation put in place in April 2004, which requires a thorough authorisation procedure and a scientific safety assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), they were examined by the Commission and the Joint Research Centre before being added to a specific section of the Community register of GM food and feed complete with all the necessary information. Once officially listed on the EU biotech register, companies selling the approved product can do so for a term of between three and nine years, after which a new authorisation application has to be submitted to the European Commission.