2773rd ENVIRONMENT Council meeting
Brussels 18 December 2006 (provisional version)

GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOs)
PROVISIONAL VERSION

The Council adopted, by qualified majority1, two decisions rejecting two proposals from the Commission (13764/06 and 13767/06), requesting Austria to repeal the prohibition of use and sale on its territory of two genetically modified maize.

– Zea Mays L. line MON 810

Commission Decision of 22 April 1998 gave consent for the placing in the market of Zea Mays L. line MON 810. On 3 August 1998, the French authorities granted such consent.

Maize line MON 810 was approved according to Directive 90/220/EC, which has since been replaced by Directive 2001/18/EC, which contains harmonized environmental risk assessment criteria for GMOs. Maize line MON 810 has not yet undergone a procedure of re-approval and reassessment in accordance with Directive 2001/18/EC.

Where the conditions set out in the relevant legislation apply, a Member State may restrict the use and/or sale of a GMO in accordance with Article 23 of Directive 2001/18/EC.

Finally the different agricultural structures and regional ecological characteristics in the European Union need to be taken into account in a more systematic manner in the environmental risk assessment of GMOs.

Therefore the Council considered there were sufficient grounds for rejecting the Commission's proposal and that the use of the temporary precautionary measures was justified.

– Zea mays L. line T 25

Commission Decision of 22 April 1998 gave consent for the placing in the market of Zea Mays L. line T 25. On 3 August 1998, the French authorities granted such consent.

Maize line T25 was approved according to Directive 90/220/EC, which has since been replaced by Directive 2001/18/EC, which contains harmonized environmental risk assessment criteria for GMOs. Maize line T25 has not yet undergone a procedure of re-approval and re-assessment in accordance with Directive 2001/18/EC.

Where the conditions set out in the relevant legislation apply, a Member State may restrict the use and/or sale of a GMO in accordance with Article 23 of Directive 2001/18/EC. Finally the different agricultural structures and regional ecological characteristics in the European Union need to be taken into account in a more systematic manner in the environmental risk assessment of GMOs.

Therefore the Council considered there were sufficient grounds for rejecting the Commission's proposal and that the use of the temporary precautionary measures was justified.

1 UK, NL, CZ and SE voting against.

Original source document:
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/envir/92249.pdf  (pages 20-21)