Reuters via Agnet Dec. 11/03 - II

Officials were cited as saying on Wednesday that Europe's top food agency, keen to raise its profile on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), plans to deliver its safety verdict on three more gene-spliced types early next year.
With EU countries split down the middle on whether to lift their five-year ban on new biotech foods and crops, the story says that the views of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) are seen as key to the debate since it is independent and non-political.

Last week, EFSA issued its first verdict on the safety of GM foods, giving a clean bill of health to a modified maize type engineered by U.S. biotech giant Monsanto, saying it was safe for human and animal consumption.
Now, EFSA specialists are assessing three other products - two maize types and one oilseed rape, all from Monsanto.

EFSA expects to publish its assessments in January and February.

Related story from Yahoo News via Crop Decisions via Agbioview, 11 December 2003

Europe's top food agency, keen to raise its profile on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), plans to deliver its safety verdict on three more gene-spliced types early next year.

With EU countries split down the middle on whether to lift their five-year ban on new biotech foods and crops, the views of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) are seen as key to the debate since it is independent and non-political.

Last week, EFSA issued its first verdict on the safety of GM foods, giving a clean bill of health to a modified maize type engineered by U.S. biotech giant Monsanto, saying it was safe for human and animal consumption.

Now, EFSA specialists are assessing three other products -- two maize types and one oilseed rape, all from Monsanto. EFSA expects to publish its assessments in January and February.

"Oilseed rape will be a little different from maize because there are different environmental questions associated with it," an EFSA official said.

EFSA scientists will meet this week and again on January 20-21. If all goes according to plan, the agency would publish its opinion on the first GMO -- Monsanto 's herbicide-resistant GT73 oilseed rape -- about a week afterwards.

Monsanto's application for EU authorization only relates to import and processing for food and feed, not for growing.

The company's two other products due for an assessment are maize types MON863 and the hybrid MON863/MON810, submitted as one request for evaluation. EFSA's verdict is due in February.

Both are engineered for resistance against certain insect pests, such as the European corn borer. The applications relate to imports for use as animal feed and processing, not for growing or use in products for human nutrition.