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Summaries of EU Legislation

Genetically modified food & feed

Date of last review:
24/11/2015
Author:
Publications Office of the European Union
Summarised document(s):

Genetically modified food & feed

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 on genetically modified food and feed

SUMMARY

WHAT DOES THIS REGULATION DO?

  • It lays down rules on how genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are authorised and supervised, and on how genetically modified food and animal feed is labelled.
  • It aims to protect:
    • people's lives and health
    • animal health and welfare
    • environmental and consumer interests.

KEY POINTS

The regulation applies to:

  • GMOs used in food or in animal feed
  • food or animal feed containing GMOs
  • food or feed made with or containingingredients made using GMOs.

Applying for authorisation

  • 1.

    Producers submit a single application covering all uses: food, animal feed and cultivation.

  • 2.

    Within 2 weeks the competent authority in the relevant EU country acknowledges receipt and informs the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA).

  • 3.

    EFSA has 6 months to assess the application.

Risk management

  • The European Commission is responsible for risk management.
  • Based on EFSA’s assessment, the Commission drafts a recommendation to accept or reject the application.
  • The proposal is sent to the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health.
  • If the committee accepts the proposal, the Commission adopts it. If not, the Council assesses the draft decision, and decides whether or not the Commission should adopt it.

Labelling

  • Food and feed containing GMOs should be clearly labelled.
  • But if food or feed contains less than 0.9 % GMOs, it does not need to be labelled – as long as the GMO content is technically unavoidable.

BACKGROUND

KEY TERM

* Genetically modified organism: an organism whose genetic material has been altered by means of genetic engineering to include genes that it would not normally contain.

ACT

Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on genetically modified food and feed (OJ L 268, 18.10.2003, pp. 1–23)

Successive amendments to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

RELATED ACTS

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 503/2013 of 3 April 2013 on applications for authorisation of genetically modified food and feed in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council and amending Commission Regulations (EC) No 641/2004 and (EC) No 1981/2006 (OJ L 157, 8.6.2013, pp. 1–48)

Directive (EU) 2015/412 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2015 amending Directive 2001/18/EC as regards the possibility for the Member States to restrict or prohibit the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in their territory (OJ L 68, 13.3.2015, pp. 1–8)

last update 24.11.2015

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