Press Release: Commission authorises 17 GMOs for food/feed uses and 2 GM carnations

On 24 April 2015, the European Commission adopted 10 new authorisations for Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) for food/feed use, 7 renewals of existing authorisations and also the authorisation for the importation of 2 GMO cut flowers (not for food or feed). These GMOs went through a full authorisation procedure, including a favourable scientific assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The authorisation decisions do not cover cultivation.

The Commission adopted these pending decisions, as required by the GMO legal framework. Authorisations were not granted during the previous months whilst a review of the decision making procedure on GMO authorisations was ongoing.

The outcome of that review was presented on 22 April 2015 with the adoption of a communication reviewing the process for the authorisation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and a legislative proposal in order to amend Regulation 1829/2003 on food and feed. Until the new proposal was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, the authorisations process still had to be based on the previous applicable legislative framework.

European Food Safety Authority: GMO publications http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/gmo/gmoscdocs.htm

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