Revised legislation on GM crops in Europe

The prospects for further commercial releases of GM potatoes in North America, and of any in Europe, clearly await significant consumer acceptance before consistent, large volume end-user markets emerge. The factors which will determine acceptance or otherwise are complex and beyond the scope of this section. However, on 14 February 2001, the European Parliament finally adopted a joint text concerning the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms. The text, which revises the European Directive 90/220/EEC (which itself lays down regulations for commercial releases of GM crops into the environment), seeks to increase the transparency and efficiency of the decision-making process on GM crops and products in the European Union. This in itself may improve public confidence. The revised directive aims to promote a harmonisation of risk assessment, and to introduce clear labelling requirements for all GMOs placed on the market. There are proposals to introduce mandatory monitoring for GM products and mandate a time limitation (renewable) of ten years, maximum, for first-time consent. There are plans to introduce compulsory monitoring of GM crops after they have been placed on the market, to provide for a common methodology to assess the risks associated with their release, and to include a mechanism to allow modification, suspension or termination of the release when new information on risks becomes available.

Other important components of the evolving legislation include: a gradual elimination of antibiotic resistance markers in commercial GMOs by the end of 2004, and by 2008 for releases into the environment for experimental purposes; a plan to bring forward a legislative proposal on environmental liability before the end of 2001, also covering damage resulting from GMOs; public registers of GMOs released into the environment for experimental purposes; introduction of general rules on traceability and labeling of GMOs and products derived from them; mandatory monitoring after GMOs are placed on the market; mandatory consultation of relevant European Scientific Committee(s); mandatory consultation of the public concerning both experimental and commercial releases; the application of the precautionary principle when implementing the Directive; the opportunity for consulting Ethics Committee(s) on issues of general nature. An excellent review of international comparisons of regulatory frameworks for food products of biotechnology has been published by MacKenzie (2000).