Activities of Pablo IGLESIAS related to 2013/0435(COD)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on novel foods
Amendments (29)
Amendment 31 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The free movement of safe and wholesome food is an essential aspect of the internal market and contributes significantly to the health and well-being of citizens, as well as benefitting their social and economic interests. Differences between national laws concerning the safety assessment and authorisation of novel foods may hinder the free movement of such food, thereby creating unfair conditions of competition.
Amendment 33 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1 a (new)
Recital 1 a (new)
(1a) The right to produce and consume healthy food that is free of pesticides, GMOs, hormones and antibiotics that may pose a risk to human and animal health or to the environment is part of the fight for food sovereignty and a fundamental human right.
Amendment 35 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) A high level of protection of human health and of consumers’ interests and the effective functioning of the internal market should be assured in the pursuit of Union food policies, whilst ensuring transparencyand these should be given priority over the interests of the internal market.
Amendment 50 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) Emerging technologies in food production processes may have an impact on food and thereby on food safety. Therefore, it should also be clarified that a food should be considered as a novel food where a production process which was not previously used for food production in the Union is applied to that food or when foods contain or consist of engineered nanomaterials, as defined in Article 2(2)(t) of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council16. It must be clear that if a food is changed by a new production process such as nanotechnology or nanoscience (about which not enough is known to carry out a risk assessment), that food must only be placed on the market if it has been assessed as safe by means of a valid risk assessment. __________________ 16 Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, amending Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 and (EC) No 1925/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Commission Directive 87/250/EEC, Council Directive 90/496/EEC, Commission Directive 1999/10/EC, Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, Commission Directive 2002/67/EC and 2008/5/EC and Commission Regulation (EC No 608/2004 (OJ L 304, 22.11.2011, p. 18).
Amendment 64 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
Amendment 67 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) The determination of whether a food was used for human consumption to a significant degree within the Union before 15 May 1997 should be based on information submitted by food business operators and, where appropriate, supported by other information available in the Member States. Food business operators should consult Member States if they are unsure ofabout the status of the food they intend to place on the market. When there is no information or insufficient information available on human consumption before 15 May 1997, a simple and transparent procedure, involving the Commission, the Member States and food business operators, should be established for collecting such information. Implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission to specify the procedural steps of such consultation process.
Amendment 70 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16 a (new)
Recital 16 a (new)
(16a) Ethical and environmental aspects must be considered as part of the risk assessment during the authorisation procedure. Those aspects should be assessed by the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies and the European Environment Agency respectively.
Amendment 85 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21 a (new)
Recital 21 a (new)
(21a) Foods produced with engineered nanomaterials or nanomaterials for use in food subject to testing methods by the Commission should not be included in the Union list until they have been assessed and certified as food that is healthy and safe to eat.
Amendment 102 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
1. This Regulation lays down rules for the placing of novel foods on the market within the Union in order to ensure the effective functioning of the internal market while providing a high level of protection of human health and consumer interestsa high level of human and animal health protection, and also protects the social and economic interests of consumers. At the same time, national differences relating to assessment of the safety of novel foods and their authorisation may not only constitute an obstacle to the free movement of these products, thus giving rise to unfair competition, but also pose a risk to human and animal health.
Amendment 155 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. Food business operators shall in any event consult a Member State where they are unsureto ascertain whether or not athe food which they intend to place on the market within the Union falls within the scope of this Regulation. Consumer and user organisations shall be informed. In that case, food business operators shall provide the necessary information to the Member State on request to enable it to determine in particular the extent to which the food in question was used for human consumption within the Union before 15 May 1997.
Amendment 174 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(aa) it is a healthy food that is free of pesticides, GMOs, hormones and antibiotics that may pose a risk to health or the environment;
Amendment 178 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(ca) where it is produced in a Member State, it must not have an impact on the environment; the opinion of the European Environment Agency concerning the extent to which the production process and normal consumption have a harmful impact on the environment must always be taken into account in the assessment.
Amendment 186 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. The Commission shall authorise a novel food and update the Union list in accordance with the rules laid down in: this Regulation.
Amendment 187 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point a
Amendment 188 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point b
Amendment 198 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 3 – point c
Article 8 – paragraph 3 – point c
(c) additional specific labelling requirements to inform the final consumer of any specific characteristic or food property, such as the composition, type of production, nutritional value or nutritional effects and intended use of the food, which renders a novel food no longer equivalent to an existing food or of implications for the health of specific groups of the population;
Amendment 203 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 3 – point d a (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 3 – point d a (new)
(da) a reference to the source country/country of origin.
Amendment 209 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point b
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point b
(b) the composidesignation of the novel foofood, and its specification, including the production process used;
Amendment 210 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point b a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point b a (new)
(ba) the production method;
Amendment 213 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point c
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point c
(c) conclusive scientific evidence produced by independent bodies demonstrating that the novel food does not pose a safety risk to human health or the environment;
Amendment 216 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point c a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point c a (new)
(ca) an analysis, supported by appropriate information and data, showing that the characteristics of the food are not different from those of its conventional counterpart, having regard to the accepted limits of natural variations for such characteristics;
Amendment 217 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point d
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point d
(d) where applicablropriate, a proposal for the cpost- market monditions of use and a proposal for specific labelling requirements which do not mislead theoring regarding use of the food for human consumer.ption;
Amendment 218 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point d a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point d a (new)
(da) particulars concerning the physical and chemical properties of the novel food or the novel food ingredient.
Amendment 224 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission mayshall request EFSA to render its opinion if the update is liable to have an effect on human health.
Amendment 227 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2
Amendment 252 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) the name and a description of the traditional food; the potential for allergenicity of the novel food and metabolism/toxicokinetic studies on the novel food ingredient;
Amendment 253 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – point b a (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – point b a (new)
(ba) the production method;
Amendment 254 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) where applicable, the conditions of use and specific labelling requirements, which do not mislead theropriate, a proposal for post- market monitoring regarding use of the food for human consumer.ption;
Amendment 257 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – point e a (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – point e a (new)
(ea) the method of preparation and specifications of a novel food ingredient.