WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2370/97 by Patricia McKENNA to the Commission. Genetically modified swede-rape
Date: 1997-07-10
Institutions: European Parliament, MCKENNA
Subjects: access to information, consumer information, environmental protection, genetically modified organism, impact study, labelling, marketing, oil seed rape, public health, seed













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91997E2370

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2370/97 by Patricia McKENNA to the Commission. Genetically modified swede-rape  


Official Journal C 102 , 03/04/1998 P. 0035 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-2370/97 by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Commission (10 July 1997)Subject: Genetically modified swede-rapeOn 6 June 1997 the Commission authorized the placing on the market of a genetically modified swede-rape.Commission Decision (97/392/EC) ((OJ L 164, 21.6.1997, p. 38. )) stated that 'there is no reason to believe that there will be any adverse effects on human health and the environment from the introduction into swede-rape of the genes coding for phosphinotricin acetyl transferase and for neomycin phosphotransferase II'. It also stated 'that there are no safety reasons for labelling which states that the product has been obtained by genetic modification techniques'.Can the Commission give details of the scientific studies undertaken to help it reach those conclusions? Who undertook those studies? Are they available to the public for scrutiny and/or will they be made available?Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (1 October 1997)As already outlined in the Commission reply to written question E-2286/97 by the Honourable Member, Commission Decision 97/392/EC concerning the placing on the market of genetically modified swede rape was based on a number of studies and data which were submitted by the notifier as evidence of the safety of the GMOs concerned for human health and the environment.A table contaning the titles of the studies and the respective authors is under preparation by the Directorate-General for the Environment, Biotechnology Sector. It will soon be made available to the Honourable Member and, upon request, to any other interested party. Full references will be given so that the public may trace the studies already published in scientific journals. In any case, the notifier (contact person: Dr Rüdelsheim, Plant Genetic Systems N.V., J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Gent) has offered public access to the information included in their dossier.At the time of the submission of the notifications in question Directive 90/220/EEC did not foresee, in the absence of safety reasons, the imposition of labelling which would state that the product had been obtained by genetic modification ((OJ L 169, 27.6.1997.)). However, it should be noted that in anticipation of the amendment of the labelling provisions of the Directive, the notifier wrote to the Commission indicating its commitment to- mention on the seed packages which will be sold to the farmers that the product has been genetically modified,- indicate to the farmers either on the label of such seed packages or in the accompanying documentation that because of the original genetic modification specific labelling requirements may be applicable for the harvested material and- provide those companies which are known to import the genetically modified product into the Community for processing with information relating to the genetically modified product produced by or under licence from Plant Genetic Systems.