Measures put in place by the European Commission earlier this week, in response to the presence of an unauthorised GMO in rice on the US market, have been endorsed by the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health today.

Since the Commission adopted the emergency Decision on Wednesday evening, only US long grain rice that is certified as free from the unauthorised LL Rice 601, following tests by an accredited laboratory using a validated testing method, can enter the EU.

Member States have been asked to step up controls at the EU borders in order to ensure that only long grain rice consignments which carry the proper certificate are imported from the USA.

Consignments without a certificate will be either returned to the USA or destroyed. A review clause is included in the Decision, whereby the measures will remain in place for 6 months, after which they will be reassessed by the Commission in light of developments in the situation.

For more information, see http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/biotechnology/index_en.htm