On April 18th 2004, the most comprehensive labelling and
traceability system for GM products in the world comes into
effect. These rules were established by the EU Commission, the
Parliament and the Council after extensive consultation with
consumer and environmental groups as well as industry.
"While GM
labelling rules have been in existence in the European Union
since 1998, rules on traceability and the criteria for
labelling will change significantly on 18 April. Lowering the
threshold to 0.9% and extending the mandatory labelling to
countless human food products as well as requiring the
labelling of animal feed products for the first time ever,
will build on the most extensive system of consumer choice in
the world. This legislation means that all food and feed
products which contain more than 0.9% of safe and approved GM
products will be labelled as containing or made from
genetically modified organisms," says Simon Barber, Director
of the Plant Biotechnology Unit at
EuropaBio - the
European association for bioindustries.
"Consumer
and environmental groups, Member State governments and
European politicians made these rules a political
pre-requisite for the approval of new GM products and the
lifting of the moratorium. EuropaBio looks forward to the
re-establishment of science-based, transparent assessments and
approvals of safe GM products. This, together with the
establishment of reasonable and practicable rules on the
co-existence of different types of agriculture, will allow
farmers and consumers to make a clear choice between GM,
non-GM and organic products." In
the words of Commission President Prodi, "It is only logical
that this safe system continues to be applied in practice and
that the EU moves with pending authorisations." (1)
"Seven
million farmers around the world are now growing GM crops
because they offer new solutions to common agricultural
problems, they can boost yields and rural incomes, increase
product variety and quality and are friendly on the
environment - a truly sustainable option for agriculture.
European farmers and consumers should be allowed to reap these
benefits as well." (2)
