WRITTEN QUESTION E-2223/00 by Béatrice Patrie (PSE) to the Commission. LMO rules.
Date: 2000-07-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: animal experimentation, consumer protection, environmental impact, fish, food safety, genetic engineering, genetically modified organism, market approval, precautionary principle, transgenic animal

C 136 E/12

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.5.2001

The Commission has already significantly increased its financial commitments to basic education in
developing countries over the past years, especially in Asia, in the Mediterranean countries, and in the
African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries (within the Lome framework).

The policy statement on Community development co-operation identifies, among the priority fields for
concentrating Community activities, support to macroeconomic policies with an explicit link to poverty
reduction strategies and in particular sector programmes in social areas (health and education).

The newly concluded partnership agreement between the Community and the ACP presents support to
social policies as one of its major strategic elements, together with support to economic growth and
productive sectors, in the overall context of poverty reduction. Support to basic education, to broader
access to disadvantaged groups, especially women, and to better quality, with adequate financial resources,
is clearly underlined in the new partnership agreement.

(2001/C 136 E/012)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2223/00

by BØatrice Patrie (PSE) to the Commission

(3 July 2000)

Subject: LMO rules

Living Genetically Modified Organisms (LMOs) are now a scientific reality. Following experiments on mice
in 1982, research was carried out on fish in 1994 and some 100 000 transgenic salmon, called
(cid:145)AquAdvantage(cid:146), are now proliferating in Canada. The modifications to their genetic make-up enable
them to grow six times as large as their wild counterparts in a tenth of the time. A large number of such
experiments are being conducted in North America, as well as in the United Kingdom and China, with a
view to producing cheaper fish.

If marketing authorisation is granted, these fish could be available in European supermarkets as early as
2002. This raises serious ethical, social, public health and environmental questions.

Is the Commission aware of the problems relating to this type of research and breeding? Can we expect
sales and consumption of this type of product to be authorised?

Does the Commission intend to put forward rules governing research into and marketing of such LMOs,
along the same lines as the rules currently being established for GMOs?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(26 September 2000)

Council Directive 90/220/EEC of 23 April 1990 on the deliberate release into the environment of
genetically modified organisms (GMOs) (1) covers release of live genetically modified organisms for both
experimental purposes and the placing on the market, which would include releases of genetically
engineered salmon. The scope of the Directive does not extend to non-viable GMOs or products that are
produced from but do not contain GMOs. As such, the Directive would not cover the import and placing
on the market of harvested (dead) salmon or fillets but their use as food would require authorisation under
Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 1997 concerning novel
foods and novel foods ingredients (2).

Applications for deliberate releases of GMOs under Directive 90/220/EEC require, as a pre-requisite,
a comprehensive assessment of risks to human health and the environment and are considered on a case-
by-case basis. For deliberate releases of fish, this would clearly include an assessment relating to the type of
environment (waters) in which they are intended to be released. An authorisation is only granted on the
basis that there is no reason to believe that the release will have an adverse effect on human health or the
environment under the conditions of consent.

8.5.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 136 E/13

To date, there have been no applications under Directive 90/220/EEC for releases of genetically modified
salmon for the purpose of placing on the market and no consents for such have been granted. Similarly,
the Commission has received no summary notifications from Member States with respect to experimental
releases of genetically modified salmon under the Directive.

Directive 90/220/EEC is currently being revised. A common position on the Commission proposal to
amend the Directive was adopted on 9 December 1999 (3) and introduces a number of new provisions that
should allow for a more effective, efficient and transparent regulatory framework for the deliberate release
of GMOs into the environment. These new provisions, when adopted and transposed into national laws,
will apply to releases of GMOs, for both experimental purposes and the placing on the market, including
genetically modified fish.

The application of Council Directive 90/219/EEC of 23 April 1990, on the contained use of genetically
modified micro-organisms (1) has been extended by the majority of Member States to cover plants and
animals in their resultant national laws. Experimental work with genetically modified salmon has been
done under the provisions of Directive 90/219/EEC on the basis that adequate containment measures have
been employed to limit contact with the general population or the environment.

Use of genetically modified (GM) salmon as or in food requires authorisation under the Novel Foods
Regulation. Under this regulation, GM-food and GM-food ingredient must not present a danger for the
consumer, mislead the consumer or differ from conventional foods to such an extent that their normal
consumption would be nutritionally disadvantageous for the consumer.

As for rules governing relevant research, the Council decision 1999/167/EC of 25 January 1999 adopting
a specific programme for research, technological development and demonstration on quality of life and
management of living resources (1998 to 2002) (4) stipulates that (cid:145)Modifications of the genetic heritage of
animals and animal cloning will be envisaged within this programme only for objectives which are justified
on ethical grounds and when carried out under conditions respecting animal welfare and genetic diversity.
Participants in EC research projects must conform to national legislation and applicable codes of conduct
and seek the approval of the relevant ethics committee prior to the start of the research and technological
development (RTD) activities.(cid:146) These rules would apply to genetically modified fish as to any other
genetically modified animal.

(1) OJ L 117, 8.5.1990.
(2) OJ L 43, 14.2.1997.
(3) OJ C 64, 6.3.2000.
(4) OJ L 64, 12.3.1999.

(2001/C 136 E/013)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2226/00

by Sebastiano Musumeci (UEN) to the Commission

(3 July 2000)

Subject: Etna nature park

More than ten years ago the authorities of the region of Sicily set up the Etna nature park involving some
20 municipalities, a decision that was taken without prior consultation of the populations concerned. Will
the Commission say whether the procedure followed is in breach of Community rules requiring the
involvement of the populations concerned when environmental constraints are introduced?

Answer given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(28 September 2000)

There is no Community environmental legislation that provides that the public be consulted prior to the
setting up of nature parks by the competent authorities.
In the light of the above, no breach of
Community law can be identified in the specific situation mentioned by the Honourable Member.