Progress: Procedure completed
Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
---|---|---|---|
Former Responsible Committee | ENVI | ROTH-BEHRENDT Dagmar ( PES) |
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
EC before Amsterdam E 100A
Legal Basis:
EC before Amsterdam E 100AEvents
LEGISLATIVE ACT : Commission Decision 2004/657/EC authorising the placing on the market of sweet corn from genetically modified maize line Bt11 as a novel food or novel food ingredient under Regulation 258/97/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council.
CONTENT : This Decision provides that sweet maize from genetically modified maize line Bt11, as designated in the Annex, may be placed on the Community market as a novel food or novel food ingredient. The product shall be labelled as ‘genetically modified sweet maize', in accordance with the labelling requirements laid down in Article 13 of Regulation 1829/2003/EC. The requisite information will be entered in the Community register of genetically modified food and feed. This Decision is addressed to Syngenta Seeds BV, Westeinde 62, 1600 AA Enkhuizen, The Netherlands, representing Syngenta Seeds AG, Switzerland. It is valid for a period of 10 years.
The recitals to the Decision recount the consultation process, including validation studies.
The rapporteur, Mrs Roth-Behrendt (PSE, DE), welcomed the agreement reached between Parliament and the Council on food. In particular she said that the compromise represented an important step for certain Member States which did not have detailed legislation on food labelling. Commissioner Bangemann fell in between those who felt that this was an important step and those who considered that the text would make absolutely no improvement. However, he pointed out that it would have been unreasonable to impose unlimited labelling as the protection of consumers’ interests did not justify the mandatory labelling of approximately 80-90% of the ingredients used.
Are novel foods, by which is meant genetically modified products (which could affect soybean seeds, sugar beet or tomatoes), different from traditional foodstuffs, and if so to what extent? This was the question that lay at the heart of the first exchange of views of the previous evening between delegations representing Parliament and the Council, sitting in the Conciliation Committee. Parliament wanted to see a form of foodstuffs labelling that would inform consumers of any characteristic or property that distinguished novel foods or novel food ingredients from equivalent existing foods or food ingredients. The Council took the view that this information was only justified when there was a substantial difference between the novel food and the conventional foodstuff. It intended referring back to the Conciliation Committee, under the codecision procedure, in order to obtain a compromise text for a proposal for a regulation from Parliament and the Council concerning the placing on the Community market of novel foods and novel food ingredients. On 12 March Parliament adopted at second reading six amendments to the common position that had been agreed by the Council on 23 October 1995. Compromise proposals were currently being examined and it was possible that the delegations would reach an agreement in the weeks ahead. The regulation was aimed at ensuring that novel foods and novel food ingredients posed no risk to the health of consumers or to the environment and would be subject to a detailed labelling system. It would also define the procedures to be put in place at European level in order to provide for the placing of such products on the Community market. Genetic manipulation was only to be permitted when it was designed to improve the taste, flavour or shelf life of the products concerned, or to protect them from attack by insects and herbicides.
The Council had decided not to adopt the Regulation as amended by the European Parliament at its second reading. As a result, and in accordance with Article 189b of the Treaty, the Conciliation Committee would be convened to act between the Council and Parliament.
The rapporteur, Mrs Roth-Berendt (PSE, D), thought that the common position contained gaps, since it failed to provide adequate protection for the interests of consumers. She first wanted the scope of the regulation, which was restricted to foods and food ingredients produced from, but not containing, genetically modified organisms, to be extended to include enzymes. The rapporteur considered that a new authorisation was essential in cases involving a significant change in the production method being used. She also called for an approval procedure for new foods, and not just a simple notification, which might ensure a proper assessment of the risks and safety aspects of the product concerned. Finally, the consumer should be provided with adequate information (for example in the case of products produced using genetic methods); according to the rapporteur this would mean introducing a suitable system of labelling so that no essential information was concealed from the consumer. Commissioner Bangemann did not accept the main amendments being proposed by the rapporteur, as he believed this would result in a phenomenal amount of labelling. However, he agreed with Amendments Nos 17, 22 and 54 and in part with Amendments Nos 9, 29 and 44. As far as Amendment No 17 was concerned he pointed out that genetically modified food additives, flavourings and solvents were already covered by specific Directives; this also applied to transgenic organisms already authorised for use, which required no new notification. As regards the scope of the regulation the Commissioner was opposed to Amendments Nos 2, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 22. As far as the procedure was concerned he was not in favour of Amendments Nos 1, 3, 19 to 21, 23 to 28, 30, 45 to 47 and 49 to 53, and confirmed his support for a simplified procedure. Finally, on the subject of labelling the Commissioner was not in favour of Amendments Nos 32 and 55; however, he thought that it was important to know if there was a significant degree of modification, because if this was the case then the labelling would be useful in that it would enable a distinction to be drawn between a novel food or food ingredient and other equivalent products already in existence.
Documents
- Implementing legislative act: 32004D0657
- Implementing legislative act: OJ L 300 25.09.2004, p. 0048-0053
- Final act published in Official Journal: Regulation 1997/258
- Final act published in Official Journal: OJ L 043 14.02.1997, p. 0001
- Text adopted by Parliament, 3rd reading: OJ C 033 03.02.1997, p. 0058-0077
- Text adopted by Parliament, 3rd reading: T4-0009/1997
- Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading: T4-0009/1997
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Report tabled for plenary by Parliament delegation to Conciliation Committee, 3rd reading: A4-0006/1997
- Report tabled for plenary by Parliament delegation to Conciliation Committee, 3rd reading: OJ C 033 03.02.1997, p. 0023
- Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading: A4-0006/1997
- Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs: 3637/1996
- Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs: 3637/1996
- Commission opinion on Parliament's position at 2nd reading: EUR-Lex
- Commission opinion on Parliament's position at 2nd reading: COM(1996)0229
- Text adopted by Parliament, 2nd reading: OJ C 096 01.04.1996, p. 0016-0026
- Text adopted by Parliament, 2nd reading: T4-0112/1996
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T4-0112/1996
- Committee draft report: PE215.404
- Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: OJ C 078 18.03.1996, p. 0004
- Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A4-0050/1996
- Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A4-0050/1996
- Committee draft report: PE215.404/B
- Commission communication on Council's position: EUR-Lex
- Commission communication on Council's position: SEC(1995)1802
- Council position: 09065/3/1995
- Council position: OJ C 320 30.11.1995, p. 0001
- Council position published: 09065/3/1995
- Debate in Council: 1851
- Debate in Council: 1769
- Committee draft report: PE207.220
- Text adopted by Parliament confirming position adopted at 1st reading: OJ C 342 20.12.1993, p. 0015-0033
- Text adopted by Parliament confirming position adopted at 1st reading: T3-0683/1993
- Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T3-0683/1993
- Modified legislative proposal: EUR-Lex
- Modified legislative proposal: OJ C 016 19.01.1994, p. 0010
- Modified legislative proposal: COM(1993)0631
- Modified legislative proposal published: EUR-Lex
- Modified legislative proposal published: COM(1993)0631
- Committee final report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: OJ C 342 20.12.1993, p. 0003
- Committee final report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A3-0365/1993
- Committee report tabled for plenary confirming Parliament's position: A3-0365/1993
- Reconsultation: EUR-Lex
- Reconsultation: COM(1993)0570
- Text adopted by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: OJ C 315 22.11.1993, p. 0075-0139
- Text adopted by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T3-0556/1993
- Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T3-0556/1993
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: OJ C 268 04.10.1993, p. 0005
- Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A3-0244/1993
- Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A3-0244/1993
- Committee opinion: PE204.286/DEF
- Committee opinion: PE204.817/DEF
- Committee opinion: PE204.300/DEF
- Economic and Social Committee: opinion, report: CES0207/1993
- Economic and Social Committee: opinion, report: OJ C 108 19.04.1993, p. 0008
- Legislative proposal: EUR-Lex
- Legislative proposal: OJ C 190 29.07.1992, p. 0003
- Legislative proposal: COM(1992)0295
- Legislative proposal published: EUR-Lex
- Legislative proposal published: COM(1992)0295
- Legislative proposal: EUR-Lex OJ C 190 29.07.1992, p. 0003 COM(1992)0295
- Economic and Social Committee: opinion, report: CES0207/1993 OJ C 108 19.04.1993, p. 0008
- Committee opinion: PE204.300/DEF
- Committee opinion: PE204.817/DEF
- Committee opinion: PE204.286/DEF
- Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: OJ C 268 04.10.1993, p. 0005 A3-0244/1993
- Text adopted by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: OJ C 315 22.11.1993, p. 0075-0139 T3-0556/1993
- Reconsultation: EUR-Lex COM(1993)0570
- Committee final report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: OJ C 342 20.12.1993, p. 0003 A3-0365/1993
- Modified legislative proposal: EUR-Lex OJ C 016 19.01.1994, p. 0010 COM(1993)0631
- Text adopted by Parliament confirming position adopted at 1st reading: OJ C 342 20.12.1993, p. 0015-0033 T3-0683/1993
- Committee draft report: PE207.220
- Council position: 09065/3/1995 OJ C 320 30.11.1995, p. 0001
- Commission communication on Council's position: EUR-Lex SEC(1995)1802
- Committee draft report: PE215.404/B
- Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: OJ C 078 18.03.1996, p. 0004 A4-0050/1996
- Committee draft report: PE215.404
- Text adopted by Parliament, 2nd reading: OJ C 096 01.04.1996, p. 0016-0026 T4-0112/1996
- Commission opinion on Parliament's position at 2nd reading: EUR-Lex COM(1996)0229
- Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs: 3637/1996
- Report tabled for plenary by Parliament delegation to Conciliation Committee, 3rd reading: A4-0006/1997 OJ C 033 03.02.1997, p. 0023
- Text adopted by Parliament, 3rd reading: OJ C 033 03.02.1997, p. 0058-0077 T4-0009/1997
- Implementing legislative act: 32004D0657 OJ L 300 25.09.2004, p. 0048-0053
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