WRITTEN QUESTION E-3355/98

by Maartje van Putten (PSE) to the Commission

(16 November 1998)

Subject: Guaranteed consumer choice of products free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

Does the Commission agree:

1. That free consumer choice must be guaranteed by ensuring a supply of foodstuffs produced without the deliberate use of GMOs;

2. That products bearing the ECO quality symbol must as yet continue to be GMO-free to avoid confusing consumers;

3. That there must be reliable monitoring of GMO-free product claims; can the Commission state how it intends to conduct any such monitoring operation?

4. That the costs arising from organisation and monitoring must not be passed on to sectors that have no intention of using GMOs, in particular the biological sector.

Answer given by Mr Santer on behalf of the Commission

(11 February 1999)

The Commission agrees that it is desirable that consumers retain a free choice between foodstuffs produced with and without the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Current Community legislation in the area of authorisation of products consisting of, containing or derived from GMOs does not impose any restrictions on the free choice of economic operators to use, or not to use, approved products for the purposes for which they have been authorised.

However, the Community's labelling policy for foodstuffs is expected to facilitate the development of market segments which are differentiated according to whether or not genetically modified products have been used. The Honourable Member is referred to the answer the Commission gave to her Written Question E-3354/98(1) for an overview of the state of work on implementing Regulation (EC) 1139/98 concerning the labelling of foods and food ingredients produced from genetically modified soya and maize(2).

Voluntary label claims are in general permitted on condition that they respect the requirements of Directive 79/112/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs(3). Thus, voluntary label claims must be truthful, based on objective criteria and should not mislead the consumers. This possibility for voluntary label claims is explicitly recalled in current Community law laying down mandatory label requirements for GMO produce(4)(5).

In light of the Agriculture Council held on 14-15 December 1998, it appears likely that final adoption of a Council regulation to amend the existing Community framework for organic production of agricultural products (Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs(6)) could occur early in 1999 and thus establish the principle of a prohibition on the use of genetic modification technology in organic farming.

The Commission is currently examining the need and possibility for a Community framework intended specifically to establish more detailed standards for voluntary production and labelling of foodstuffs without use of genetically modified inputs.

(1) OJ C 289, 11.10.1999.

(2) OJ L 159, 3.6.1998.

(3) OJ L 33, 8.2.1979.

(4) OJ L 159, 3.6.1998.

(5) Regulation (EC) 258/97 on novel food and food ingredients (Recital 10), OJ L 43, 14.2.1997.

(6) OJ L 198, 22.7.1991.