WRITTEN QUESTION P-1557/01

by Ian Hudghton (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(17 May 2001)

Subject: Genetically modified fish

It is known that conventionally farmed fish escape into the wild on a regular basis, and consequently farming genetically modified fish clearly poses huge risks: such fish could literally swim into the wild.

In Scotland, the possible introduction of genetically modified salmon and the potential risk of escapes of genetically modified fish in general have given rise to the fear that major damage could be inflicted on wild fish stocks, which are already in a state of disastrous decline.

Does the Commission agree that the introduction of genetically modified fish into experimental fish farms could result in major damage to wild fish stocks if such fish escape and interbreed, with potentially devastating knock-on effects on the fisheries and aquaculture industries and on consumer confidence?

Given the potential risks both to the ecosystem, the fisheries and aquaculture industries and consumers, what safeguards has the Commission put in place to ensure that consumers are not exposed to genetically modified fish, whether developed within the EU or externally?

Can the Commission provide information on the status of research and development into and funding for genetically modified fish in the EU, and explain and justify its objectives to fund such research, given the inherent risks which surround the development of such fish?

Answer givern by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(20 June 2001)

The Commission agrees that genetically modified fish have the potential to cause irreversible damage to fish stocks and to the marine environment, in the event of escape. Community legislation addresses the potential risks from activities involving such organisms.

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 organisms(1) covers both experimental and commercial releases of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), including fish.

Experimental trials fall under the provisions of Part B of the Directive. Applications are appraised and consents granted by the Member States in which the intended trial is to be conducted. These Member States are required to inform the Commission and other Member States on such releases. In addition, information on experimental releases carried out in the Community is maintained on a publicly accessible database at the Joint Research Centre in Ispra (http://biotech.jrc.it). To date, the Commission has received no notification of this kind with respect to experimental releases of genetically modified fish.

Consents for commercial releases require approval under Part C of Directive 2001/18/EC via an authorisation system at the Community level with input from all Member States. Authorisations will only be granted on the basis that there is no reason to believe that the release would have an adverse effect on human health or the environment. To date, there have been no applications for commercial releases of genetically modified fish and no consents for such have been granted.

Use of genetically modified fish or products derived from it as or in food requires authorisation under the Novel Foods Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 1997 concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients(2)). Under this regulation, genetically modified food must not present a danger or mislead the consumer or differ from conventional foods to such an extent that their normal consumption would be nutritionally disadvantageous for the consumer.

The Commission is currently part-funding one project concerning transgenic technology in experimental fish, the objective of which is to assess and reduce the risks that could emerge from fish genetically altered by recombinant DNA technology. This is FAIR project 3482 of 1997 (Fourth framework programme of Research and Technological Development) which started in January 1999 and is to be completed in December 2001. The project is co-ordinated by Julius-Maximilian Universität Würzburg, Germany and has partners in Spain, France, Italy, United Kingdom, and Norway; 924 000 Community funding has been approved. The Commission has also part-funded four research projects involving genetically modified fish in the past but these are now terminated. Two of these were purely concerned with biosafety aspects while two had potential commercial applications.

Currently research is being conducted into controlling integration and expression of introduced genes and improving the methods for analysing transgenic fish. It is not the aim of the project to produce transgenic fish with altered characteristics, to genetically modify commercial species or to release genetically modified organisms into the environment. Research of this kind can contribute in the future to risk evaluation and detection of genetically modified fish on the market.

(1) OJ L 106, 17.4.2001.

(2) OJ L 43, 14.2.1997.