Commission Midday Express, 22 December 2011
The European Commission adopted today three Decisions authorising GM maizes MIR604xGA21, Bt11xMIR604, Bt11xMIR604xGA21 and one Decision authorising GM cotton 281-24-236/3006-210-23. These four Decisions cover the authorisation for food and feed uses and import and processing, but not for cultivation.
The products in question received (between May 2010 and June 2010) a positive safety assessment from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and underwent the full authorisation procedure set out in the EU legislation. As Member States did not succeed to return qualified majority decisions either in favour or against these 4 authorisations - in a Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH) in February 2011 and then in the Council meeting of 15 December 2011 -, the files were sent back to the Commission for final decision. The authorisations are valid for 10 years, and any products produced from these GM maize and GM cotton will be subject to the EU's strict labelling and traceability rules. For more information, see: http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/biotechnology/index_en.htm