EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 84/440

(2004/C 84 E/0512)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0641/04

by Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(25 February 2004)

Subject: Results of testing for the presence of GMOs in seeds since 2000

On 10 July 2000, the Standing Committee on Agricultural, Horticultural and Forestry Seeds and Plants decided that the Member States should carry out regular testing for GMOs on conventional and organic seeds and inform the other Member States and the Commission of the results. This was also to apply to seeds imported from third countries.

For which Member States does the Commission have test reports for 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003?

What are the results of the individual tests (in terms of the detection of GMO impurities, frequency and quantity etc.)?

What measures have the Commission and the Member States taken where GMO impurities have been discovered in seedlots?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(29 March 2004)

The Standing Committee on Seeds and Propagating Material for Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry discussed on 10 July 2000 a plan for co-ordinated and harmonized interim action with respect to genetically modified organisms (GMO) ‘impurities’ in seed lots of conventional varieties with a view to immediate implementation and without prejudice to related legislative measures in preparation at that time.

At this time, 13 Member States agreed to organize testing of selected seed lots of conventional varieties to determine the possible presence of GMO ‘impurities’. Testing was to be in accordance with certain defined criteria (details of the action plan can be found in the report of the meeting of 10 July 2000 on website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/rc/scsp/index_en.html) regarding the species to be tested, the origin of the seed lots, the actions which would be taken in the case of the presence of unauthorised and authorised GMOs, and Member States agreed to inform the other Member States and the Commission of any finding.

The Standing Committee has noted the results of the testing undertaken by Member States on different occasions since July 2000 and short reports are available under the above-mentioned internet address. The Commission has also received, sometimes directly from Member States, results of testing.

Controls have started at various times in the different Member States and at different frequencies. The action plan being not legally binding, Member States have not applied the same thresholds (some of the Member States have adopted national law with lower thresholds, some others with the proposed threshold for authorised GMOs) and have not taken the same actions in case of GM presence. They have not informed systematically the Commission of all the actions taken. From the results which are rather disparate in the different Member States, it appears that in a large number of samples no GM was detected or was present below the thresholds applied by the Member States. Few samples were declared positive for authorised GMOs (above the threshold) or showed a detectable presence of GM not authorised for cultivation.

Moreover, the Commission notes that Member States have communicated the results of testing in answering the letter addressed to them by the Honourable Member on 13 November 2003 concerning the adventitious presence of GMO in seeds.

The test results demonstrate a need for harmonised legal thresholds and measures when the threshold is exceeded. This is why the Commission continues to work on the establishment of thresholds below which the adventitious or technically unavoidable presence of authorised GM seeds in seeds of non-GM varieties will not require labelling. As the Honourable Member is aware, it is intended to adopt these thresholds under the ‘horizontal’ Directive 2001/18/EC (1) in the Regulatory Committee procedure. Identical thresholds will then be adopted under the sector-based seed legislation in the Management Committee to ensure consistency, with, in addition, specific certification requirements as regards GM adventitious presence in seeds.

(1) Directive 2001/18/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 12 March 2001 on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified repealing Council Directive 90/220/EEC, OJ L 106, 17.4.2001.