The UK Government has confirmed today to the European Commission that it has assessed an application by Bayer for the importation of genetically modified rice for processing and animal feed as complying with EU requirements.

This assessment reflects legal obligations under EC law and the advice from the Government's independent advisers, ACRE (the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment). The application and the UK's assessment will now be studied by other EU Member States before a collective decision is made. Consent, if granted, would not permit cultivation of the rice in the EU nor, without separate approval, could it be used in human food.

Under the EC Directive 2001/181, all applications to import or cultivate GM crops are initially assessed by the government to which they are originally submitted. Accordingly, the UK has assessed this application against the safety and other requirements of the Directive. It is now forwarding it for further scrutiny by all other Member States before a collective decision is made. In forwarding the application for further scrutiny the Government is insisting, if consent is subsequently given by the EU for import, on annual reports on post market monitoring of this GM rice. Any consent would be subject to strict requirements on traceability and labeling set out in new EU Regulations.

The Government has been advised by ACRE that the rice:

"Does not pose a risk to human health and the environment. The marketing of this product for importation and processing in the UK will be no different from that of other rice imported for processing and animal feed purposes. In coming to this conclusion ACRE have taken account of the advice of the Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs (ACAF). ACRE also recommends that reports of post market monitoring for general surveillance of this product be provided to the regulatory authorities on an annual basis".

Environment and Agri-Environment Minister Elliot Morley commented:

"Current EU legislation requires a case-by-case assessment of all applications on the basis of the scientific evidence - and that is what we have done. Our independent Advisory Committee has concluded that there are no safety-based objections to this application. We will, however, be insisting as ACRE advises that, if marketing consent is given, it should be on the basis that there are more stringent post-market monitoring reporting requirements.

"Everyone should be able to make reliable and properly informed choices about GM food and crops. Genetically modified food and products are available widely throughout the world. Only products which have met stringent health and environment tests will ever be on sale in this country - consumers can then choose whether or not to use them on the basis of the best information available".

Background

1. The standards applying to the consideration of all applications to release Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) for research or for commercial (i.e., importation or cultivation) purposes are set out in EC Directive 2001/18 , and this is the procedure being applied now to the application for importation of event LLRICE62. The Directive sets out a generic common framework to ensure that any GMO - such as food, feed, seeds, animals or bacteria - is adequately tested and evaluated at each stage in its development and, most importantly, before being placed on the European market. The requirements of all other EU legislation governing specific product sectors - including the new Regulation on GM Food and Feed - must be at least as stringent as Directive 2001/18. It is based on a transparent, case-by-case assessment across the EU of safety according to sound scientific evidence. Once a GMO has the suitable consent, it can be imported and, if the consent conditions permit, it can be cultivated anywhere in the EU, subject to other applicable legislation on seeds, pesticides and, where relevant novel food. For LLRICE62, the application is for import only, not for cultivation. The application and the UK's assessment will now be considered by all the other Member States before a collective decision is taken. Any consent granted would be subject to the provisions of the Directive, as recently amended to cover stricter and more comprehensive requirements for the traceability and labelling of GMOs.

2. Additionally two new and interlinked EU Regulations on GMOs formally entered into force on 7 November. One Regulation elaborates and extends existing rules on traceability and labelling of any GM product and the other Regulation sets up a more centralised and specific regime for the authorisation and labelling of GM food and animal feed, focused on the new European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Importers, producers and suppliers will be required to keep and pass down the supply chain information about the GM content or derivation of a product to facilitate traceability and to underpin labelling information given to the final consumer.

3. Although both Regulations are now legally in force, their practical requirements will only apply to Member States and to individual stakeholders from 18th April 2004. At the end of last year Defra and the Food Standards Agency held face-to-face consultations with representative stakeholders on all practical aspects of their full implementation and are currently running a formal written consultation.