Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs), for both human food and animal feed, are listed under European legislation, which has harmonised their authorisation procedure, labelling and traceability.
Since 2003, GMOs must be labelled GMO.
A single body is responsible for approving GMOs and placing them on the market: the European Food Safety Authority.
Approved GMOs have passed specific tests proving that they do not affect human or animal health.
Legislative instruments
- 32001L0018
Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 March 2001 on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms and repealing Council Directive 90/220/EEC - Commission Declaration
Official Journal L 106 , 17/04/2001 P. 0001 - 0039
- 32004R0065
Commission Regulation (EC) No 65/2004 of 14 January 2004 establishing a system for the development and assignment of unique identifiers for genetically modified organisms
Official Journal L 010 , 16/01/2004 P. 0005 - 0010
- 32003R1829
Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on genetically modified food and feed (Text with EEA relevance)
Official Journal L 268 , 18/10/2003 P. 0001 - 0023
- 32003R1830
Regulation (EC) No 1830/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 concerning the traceability and labelling of genetically modified organisms and the traceability of food and feed products produced from genetically modified organisms and amending Directive 2001/18/EC
Official Journal L 268 , 18/10/2003 P. 0024 - 0028
- 32004R0641
Commission Regulation (EC) No 641/2004 of 6 April 2004 on detailed rules for the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the application for the authorisation of new genetically modified food and feed, the notification of existing products and adventitious or technically unavoidable presence of genetically modified material which has benefited from a favourable risk evaluation (Text with EEA relevance)
Official Journal L 102 , 07/04/2004 P. 0014 - 0025
- 32000L0013
Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 March 2000 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs
Official Journal L 109 , 06/05/2000 P. 0029 - 0042
- 32009R0767
Regulation (EC) No 767/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 on the placing on the market and use of feed, amending European Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 and repealing Council Directive 79/373/EEC, Commission Directive 80/511/EEC, Council Directives 82/471/EEC, 83/228/EEC, 93/74/EEC, 93/113/EC and 96/25/EC and Commission Decision 2004/217/EC (Text with EEA relevance)
Official Journal L 229 , 01/09/2009 P. 0001 - 0028
- 31997R0258
Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 1997 concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients
Official Journal L 043 , 14/02/1997 P. 0001 - 0006
- 32009L0041
Directive 2009/41/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 May 2009 on the contained use of genetically modified micro-organisms (Recast) (Text with EEA relevance)
Official Journal L 125 , 21/05/2009 P. 0075 - 0097
- 32003R1946
Regulation (EC) No 1946/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 July 2003 on transboundary movements of genetically modified organisms (Text with EEA relevance)
Official Journal L 287 , 05/11/2003 P. 0001 - 0010
- 32004D0204
2004/204/EC: Commission Decision of 23 February 2004 laying down detailed arrangements for the operation of the registers for recording information on genetic modifications in GMOs, provided for in Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2004) 540)
Official Journal L 065 , 03/03/2004 P. 0020 - 0022
- 32009D0866
2009/866/EC: Commission Decision of 30 November 2009 authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of, or produced from genetically modified maize MIR604 (SYN-IR6Ø4-5) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (notified under document C(2009) 9399) (Text with EEA relevance)
Official Journal L 314 , 01/12/2009 P. 0102 - 0105
- 32009D0770
2009/770/EC: Commission Decision of 13 October 2009 establishing standard reporting formats for presenting the monitoring results of the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms, as or in products, for the purpose of placing on the market, pursuant to Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (notified under document C(2009) 7680) (Text with EEA relevance)
Official Journal L 275 , 21/10/2009 P. 0009 - 0027
Preparatory acts
- 52006DC0104
Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - Report on the implementation of national measures on the coexistence of genetically modified crops with conventional and organic farming {SEC(2006) 313}
- 52009PC0457
Proposal for a Council Decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of, or produced from genetically modified maize MON 89034 (MON-89Ø34-3) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (Only the French and Dutch texts are authentic) (Text with EEA relevance)
- 52009PC0056
Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the provisional prohibition of the use and sale in Austria of genetically modified maize (Zea mays L. line MON810) pursuant to Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (Only the German text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance)
- 52009PC0012
Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the provisional prohibition of the use and sale in Hungary of genetically modified maize (Zea mays L. line MON810) expressing the Bt cry1Ab gene, pursuant to Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
- 52008PC0678
Proposal for a Council Decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing or produced from genetically modified oilseed rape T45 (ACS-BNØØ8-2) resulting from the commercialisation of this oilseed rape in third countries until 2005 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council
- 52008PC0669
Proposal for a Council Decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of, or produced from genetically modified soybean MON89788 (MON-89788-1) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (Only the French and Dutch texts are authentic) (Text with EEA relevance)
- 52007PC0813
Proposal for a Council Decision authorising the placing on the market of feed produced from the genetically modified potato EH92-527-1 (BPS-25271-9) and the adventitious or technically unavoidable presence of the potato in food and other feed products under Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (Only the German text is authentic)
- 52007PC0346
Proposal for a Council Decision authorising the placing on the market of food and feed produced from genetically modified sugar beet H7-1 (KM-ØØØH71-4) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (Only the French, Dutch and German texts are authentic)
- 52006PC0758
Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the placing on the market, in accordance with Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, of a carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L., line 123.2.38) genetically modified for flower colour (Only the Dutch text is authentic)
Other acts
- 52009DC0153
Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the coexistence of genetically modified crops with conventional and organic farming {SEK(2009) 408}
- 52007DC0081
Second Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the experience of Member States with GMOs placed on the market under Directive 2001/18/EC on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms. {SEC(2007) 274}
- 52004IE1656
Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Co-existence between genetically modified crops, and conventional and organic crops’
Official Journal C 157 , 28/06/2005 P. 0155 - 0166
- C2009/044/12
Case C-121/07: Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 9 December 2008 — Commission of the European Communities v French Republic (Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations — Directive 2001/18/EC — Deliberate release into the environment and placing on the market of GMOs — Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations — Non-compliance — Article 228 EC — Judgment complied with during the proceedings — Pecuniary penalties)
Official Journal C 044 , 21/02/2009 P. 0008 - 0008
- 62007J0121
Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 9 December 2008.
Commission of the European Communities v French Republic.
Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations - Directive 2001/18/EC - Deliberate release into the environment and placing on the market of GMOs - Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations - Non-compliance -Article 228 EC - Judgment complied with during the proceedings - Pecuniary penalt.
Case C-121/07.
European Court reports 2008 Page I-09159
- C2008/272/29
Case T-42/05: Judgment of the Court of First Instance of 10 September 2008 — Williams v Commission (Access to documents — Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 — Preparatory documents relating to the adoption of Directive 2001/18/EC on GMOs — Partial refusal of access — Implied refusal of access — Exceptions relating to the protection of commercial interests, protection of international relations and protection of the decision-making process — Obligation to state reasons)
Official Journal C 272 , 25/10/2008 P. 0016 - 0016
- 62005A0042
Judgment of the Court of First Instance (Fifth Chamber) of 10 September 2008.
Rhiannon Williams v Commission of the European Communities.
Access to documents - Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 - Preparatory documents relating to the adoption of Directive 2001/18/EC on GMOs - Partial refusal of access - Implied refusal of access - Exceptions relating to the protection of commercial interests, protection of international relations and protection of the decision-making process - Obligation to state reasons.
Case T-42/05.
European Court reports 2008 Page II-00156*
Pub_Somm
- 62007C0121
Opinion of Mr Advocate General Mazák delivered on 5 June 2008.
Commission of the European Communities v French Republic.
Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations - Directive 2001/18/EC - Deliberate release into the environment and placing on the market of GMOs - Judgment of the Court establishing the failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations - Non-compliance -Article 228 EC - Judgment complied with during the proceedings - Pecuniary penalt.
Case C-121/07.
European Court reports 2008 Page I-09159
- 92002E2518
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2518/02 by Dorette Corbey (PSE)and Margrietus van den Berg (PSE) to the Commission. Genetically modified food aid to developing countries.
Official Journal 268 E , 07/11/2003 P. 0011 - 0012
- 92002E2737
WRITTEN QUESTION P-2737/02 by Torben Lund (PSE) to the Commission. Limit values for GMOs and sloppy legislation.
Official Journal 052 E , 06/03/2003 P. 0207 - 0208
- 62009P0442C(01)
Case C-442/09: Reference for a preliminary ruling from the Bayerischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof (Germany) lodged on 13 November 2009 — Karl Heinz Bablok, Stefan Egeter, Josef Stegmeier, Karlhans Müller, Barbara Klimesch v Freistaat Bayern — Intervening parties: Monsanto Technology Llc., Monsanto Agrar Deutschland GmbH, Monsanto Europa S.A./N.V.
Official Journal C 024 , 30/01/2010 P. 0028 - 0028