WRITTEN QUESTION P-1557/01 by Ian Hudghton (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Genetically modified fish.
Date: 2001-05-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, animal experimentation, consumer protection, fish farming, food safety, precautionary principle, protection of animal life, transgenic animal

C 350 E/188

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

11.12.2001

(2001/C 350 E/203)

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.

11.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 350 E/189

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 Universit(cid:228)t W(cid:252)rzburg, 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.

(2001/C 350 E/204)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1558/01

by Esko Sepp(cid:228)nen (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 May 2001)

Subject: Number of MEPs and enlargement

In replying to my question H-272/01 (1), the Commission representative interpreted the Treaty of Nice as
meaning that, if no accession agreement has been signed by 1 January 2004, the same number of MEPs
will be elected in 2003 from the 15 Member States as at present. This interpretation is undoubtedly
correct, but it brings with it a new interpretation problem if, for example, only one accession agreement
has been signed. In the Commission(cid:146)s interpretation, how many MEPs from the Member States would be
elected in that case?

(1) Written answer of 3 April 2001.

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(18 July 2001)

Under Article 2(2) and (3) of the Protocol on the enlargement of the European Union annexed by the
Treaty of Nice to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaties establishing the European
Communities (1), the exact number of representatives to be elected in each Member State to Parliament in
2004 is to be determined by a Council Decision.

To determine this number,
it will first be necessary to add to the total number of representatives of
the current 15 Member States (specified in Article 190 of the EC Treaty, as amended by Article 2(1) of the
Protocol, i.e. 535 representatives) the number of representatives of the new Member States arising from the