. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/EEC/150
14 February 2002
(02-0764)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible: European Commission.
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable). Products that contain or comprise genetically modified organisms and food and
feed products produced from genetically modified organisms.  Regions or countries likely
to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  Member States of the European
Communities and third countries exporting the products concerned to the EC.
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document: COM(2001)182 ‘Proposal for a
Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the labelling and
traceability of genetically modified organisms and traceability of food and feed products
produced from genetically modified organisms and amending Directive 2001/18/EC’ (8
pages). Available in all Community languages.
5.Description of content:
The Proposal notified herewith lays down a general Community system for the traceability
and labelling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and traceability of food and feedproducts produced from GMOs at all stages of their placing on the market.
The general objectives of the Proposal are to ensure and facilitate;
• withdrawal of products should an unforeseen risk be established
• targeted monitoring of potential effects  on the environment, where appropriate
• control and verification of labelling claims
• inform the consumers and avoid deceptive practices
To achieve these objectives, the Proposal places obligations on operators to transmit and
retain specified information at each stage of the placing of the products on the market.
Specified information includes details as to whether products contain or are produced fromGMOs.  For GMOs as or in products to be intentionally introduced into the environment,
specification of identity (unique codes) of the GMO(s) that the product contains is also
required as a means to facilitate environmental monitoring.  For GMOs intended for food,
feed or processing, operators are not obliged to specify the identity of the GMOs contained
in a product, but may transmit a declaration that the product shall only be used as food orfeed, or for processing, together with the identity (unique codes) of the GMOs that theproduct may contain.
Note:   This draft legislation has been also notified to the Agreement on Technical Barrier to
Trade (TBT) in notices G/TBT/N/EEC/7 ( 30 August 2001) and G/TBT/N/EEC/7/Add.1
(31 October 2001).G/SPS/N/EEC/150
Page 2
6. Objective and rationale: [  X ] food safety,  [  X ] animal health,  [    ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [     ] protect territory from
other damage from pests.  Also, protection of the environment.
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations: This Proposal takes account of the requirements
of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity as regardspecification of the identity of GMOs as well as OECD guidelines.
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: COM(2001)182.
Available in all Community languages.
9. Proposed date of adoption by the European Parliament and the Council:
December 2002
10. Proposed date of entry into force: on the 20th day following the date of publication of the
Regulation in the Official Journal of the European Communities.  Proposed date of
application for Articles 1 to 7 and 9(1): 90 days following the date of publication in the
Official Journal of the European Communities of the system for development and
assignment of unique codes to GMOs.
11. Final date for comments:  28 February 2002
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [     ] National notification
authority, [  X ] EC enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:           
12. Texts available from: [     ] National notification authority, [  X ] EC enquiry point or
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
The Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning
the labelling and traceability of genetically modified organisms and traceability of food and
feed products produced from genetically m odified organisms and amending Directive
2001/18/EC is available at http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/index1.html . and is published
in the Official Journal of the EC No. C304E of 30/10/2001, p. 327.
English text: http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/pdf/2001/en_501PC0182.pdf
French text: http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/fr/com/pdf/2001/fr_501PC0182.pdf
Spanish text: http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/es/com/pdf/2001/es_501PC0182.pdf