G/TBT/N/EU/417  
 
26 October 2016  
(16-5866) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member : EUROPEAN UNION   
If applicable, name of local government involved  (Article 3.2 and 7.2) : 
2. Agency responsible : European Commission  
Name and a ddress (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification  shall be indicated if different from above : 
European Commission  
EU-TBT Enquiry Point  
Fax: +(32) 2 299 80 43  
E-mail: grow-eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu   
Website : http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools -databases/tbt/   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2  [ ], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [  ], 5.7.1 [  ], other : This notification 
is for transparency purposes and does not prejudge the position of the European Union on 
the applicability of the TBT Agreement to the notified measures, or on the nature and 
effects of the m easure itself.  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable) : Genetically modified 
organisms intended for deliberate release into the environment, including genetically 
modified food and feed  
5. Title, number of pages  and language(s)  of the notified document : Draft Commission 
Directive amending Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as 
regards the environmental risk assessment of g enetically m odified organisms (4 pages + 
15 pages of annex, in English)  
6. Description of content : This draft Directive updates certain annexes to Directive 
2001/18/EC as regards the environmental risk assessment of GMOs, in order to adapt 
them to technic al progress and in the light of the Guidance documents of the European 
Food safety Authority concerning the environmental risk assessment of genetically 
modified plants. The list of information that notifiers must provide under 
Directive  2001/18/EC is also  updated accordingly.  
7. Objective and rationale , including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable : Protection of human health and animal  health and of the environment  
8. Relevant documents : 
Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council  of 12 March 
2001 on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified 
organisms and repealing Council Directive 90/220/EEC (OJ L 106, 17.4.2001, p. 1) : 
http://eur -lex.europa.eu/legal -
content/EN/TXT/?qid=1467876263838&uri=CELEX:02001L0018 -20150402  
 Directive (EU) 2015/412 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 
11 March  2015 amending Directive 2001/18/EC as rega rds the possibility for the G/TBT/N/EU/417  
 
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  Member States to restrict or prohibit the cultivation of genetically modified 
organisms (GMOs) in their territory (OJ L 68, 13.3.2015, p.1) : http://eur -
lex.europa.eu/legal -content/EN/TXT/?qid=1467876329793&uri=CELEX:32015L0412  
9. Proposed date of adoption : April 2017  
Proposed date of entry into force : April 2017 (transposition by Member States by 
October 2018)   
10. Final date f or comments : 60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from : National enquiry point  [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
number s and e mail and website address es, if available , of other body:  
European Commission  
EU-TBT Enquiry Point  
Fax: + (32) 2 299 80 4 3 
E-mail: grow-eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
The text is available on the Website : http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools -databases/tbt/   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2016/TBT/EEC/16_4493_01_e.pdf   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2016/TBT/EEC/16_4493_00_e.pdf