B4-0496, 0501, 0563, 0564 and 0570/97

Resolution on novel foods and novel food ingredients

The European Parliament,

- having regard to Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 1997 concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients ((OJ L 43, 14.2.1997, p.1)),

- having regard to Council Directive 90/220/EEC of 23 April 1990 on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms ((OJ L 117, 8.5.1990, p. 15.)),

A. whereas the Novel Food Regulation is an important contribution to the creation of legal certainty for trade, industry and consumers as regards the placing on the market and labelling of genetically altered foods,

B. whereas there is considerable legal uncertainty among consumers, industry and national licensing authorities as a result of the wide scope for interpreting the Novel Food Regulation,

C. whereas clear implementing regulations on the interpretation of the Regulation are necessary,

D. whereas some Member States have already adopted their own labelling provisions for novel foods,

E. whereas the Commission has hitherto regrettably failed to take clear initiatives on proposing implementing regulations,

1. Reiterates its view that the safety of food and thus the health of the consumer must be the overriding consideration and that transparency for the consumer must be guaranteed, and calls on the Commission to apply in full the precautionary principle;

2. Regrets that the Commission has not enacted any implementing provisions to permit the clear and uniform labelling of novel foods and novel food ingredients in the Community;

3. Is concerned that differing labelling requirements in some Member States could hinder the marketing of novel foods and novel food ingredients in the Community;

4. Expresses its concern that the criteria within the legislation for determining what is to be regulated as a novel food or novel food ingredient could be misused to exclude on narrow technical grounds products or ingredients which should properly be assessed for safety under this Regulation;

5. Calls on the Commission to enact implementing provisions on labelling immediately, to enable European consumers to be informed as precisely as possible of any change to its distinctive features or nutritional characteristics, the effect of which is to render a novel food or food ingredient no longer equivalent to an existing food or food ingredient;

6. Insists that such a change, once observed, can never fall within the recognized limit values for natural fluctuations;

7. Considers that a change has taken place in the composition of a novel food or a novel food ingredient when its nucleic acid is no longer equivalent to that in an existing foodstuff or ingredient as a result of the use of the techniques referred to in Article 1(2) of the Regulation;

8. Supports unconditionally the need for consumers to have access to all the information they require to exercise their right to choose what to eat and in order to avoid ambiguous or promotional slogans being used by food producers; considers that vague wordings used on labels such as 'produced using modern biotechnology' are not compatible with Article 8(1) of the Regulation;

9. Calls on the Commission to propose criteria for positive labelling of food and food ingredients not consisting of or containing GMOs and not produced using genetic engineering, as foreseen in the Regulation;

10. Undertakes to monitor the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 258/97 in the light of this resolution, to ensure that the Community's legal obligations under the Treaty are fulfilled and to take appropriate action if it appears that this is not the case;

11. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.