Food Law News - FAO/WHO/WTO/Codex - 2005


EU Council Press Release, 28 February 2005

GM FOOD – WTO Panel on GMOs: Discussions at EU Council Meeting

Extract from the minutes of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council Meeting held on the 28 February 2005

The German delegation, supported by the Polish delegation, asked the Commission for information on the state of play as regards the Panel on WTO compatibility of Union measures on the approval and marketing of GMOs, which had been set up at the request of the United States, Canada and Argentina (6676/05).

Commissioner Kyprianou pointed out that the complaints lodged by the aforementioned States related to delays in the procedures for registering GMOs, not to the Community legislation.

At the hearing on 21 and 22 February, the European Union had stated that it was taking a cautious approach; it had not adopted a substantive position on the subject, since the impact of GMOs was still difficult to evaluate. The Commission would keep the Council informed of developments at the Panel until the final report, due by 24 June at the latest.


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