European Union - Commission adopts regulation harmonising controls for non-authorised GM material in feed

The European Commission adopted today a regulation that harmonises the implementation of the zero tolerance policy on non-authorised genetically modified (GM) material in feed.

The regulation, which will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, addresses the current uncertainty EU operators face when placing on the market feed products imported from third countries. The regulation sets out a technical zero at the level of 0.1 %, which corresponds to the lowest level of GM material that is considered by the EU Reference Laboratory for the validation of quantitative methods. The regulation is limited to GM feed material for which an authorisation procedure is pending in the EU or for which an authorisation has expired. In addition, this material has to fulfil a set of criteria, which is also outlined in the regulation. The regulation ensures a harmonised approach to controls in all Member States. It also improves the legal certainty for importers of feed from third countries. Different maize products (four million tons imported in the 2008-09 season) and soybean products (33 million tons in soya meal equivalents in the 2008-09 season), imported mainly from Argentina, Brazil and the US, are an essential supplement for the EU's livestock sector.