Brussels, Belgium
February 12, 2008
The European Commission decided
today to require compulsory certification for the imports of
Chinese rice products that could contain the unauthorised GMO
Bt63. The decision has been taken after rice products
-originating in, or consigned from, China and containing the
unauthorised genetically modified rice “Bt 63”- were discovered
in the EU market between 2006 and 2007. Despite measures
announced by the Chinese authorities in 2007, alerts concerning
the presence of the unauthorised genetically modified rice “Bt
63” were reported until late 2007. The emergency measures
adopted by the Commission today mean that, as of April 15, only
consignments of the rice products indicated in a specific Annex
of the Decision can enter the EU. These consignments must be
tested by an official or accredited laboratory using a specific
testing method and accompanied by the analytical report assuring
they do not contain Bt63.
Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said: "Under EU food safety
legislation, only GMOs, which have undergone a thorough
scientific assessment and authorisation procedure, may be put on
the EU market. The decision adopted today aims to prevent the
unauthorised Bt63 rice from reaching EU consumers, by ensuring
that only rice products certified as free from this GMO enter
the EU."
China is responsible for ensuring that Bt63 does not enter the
EU food chain and that imports are certified as free from this
unauthorised GMO. Member State authorities are responsible for
controlling the imports at their borders and for preventing any
contaminated consignments from being placed on the market. In
addition, they should carry out controls on products already on
the market, to ensure that they are free from Bt63. Business
operators importing rice products from China are also
responsible for ensuring that Bt63 does not enter the EU food
chain and that imports are certified as free from this
unauthorised GMO, in accordance with the EU food law principle
that operators are responsible for the safety of the food or
feed that they place on the market.
The presence of the unauthorised Bt63 was first discovered in
the United Kingdom, France and Germany and notified to the Rapid
Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) in September 2006.
The Chinese competent authorities were immediately requested to
provide detailed information concerning the genetic constructs
of the unauthorised GMO. In response, the Chinese authorities
conducted checks on the cases notified in the RASFF and
suspended exports by the enterprises concerned. They also
decided to carry out testing on exported rice and rice products
and required exporting enterprises to strengthen controls over
raw material purchasing.
Despite this first set of measures, a new finding of the
unauthorised genetically modified rice “Bt 63” was once again
notified through the RASFF in February 2007. The Chinese
authorities were immediately informed by the Commission of this
new alert and requested to provide additional guarantees. As a
result, they decided to strengthen the sampling and testing of
rice products and required rice products to be accompanied by an
official Chinese Inspection and Quarantine Certificate.
Despite the measures of the Chinese authorities, other alerts
concerning the presence of “Bt 63” were subsequently reported.
Furthermore, the Chinese authorities were unable to provide the
Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) with the requested
control samples and a protocol of a detection method that were
qualitatively and quantitatively appropriate for the JRC to
validate the detection method used by the Chinese control
authorities.
Against the described background the Commission believes it is
now appropriate to proceed immediately with the adoption of
emergency measures, which will impose on an important number of
rice products originating from China a compulsory certificate,
based on a test carried out by an official or accredited
laboratory using a specific testing method.
This decision has been submitted to the Standing Committee on
the Food Chain and Animal Health on 12 February 2008 and the
Committee gave its favourable opinion. The measures will enter
into force from the 15th of April 2008 in order to allow the
Member States to take the practical arrangements for its
implementation. The situation shall be reassessed after six
months. The Commission will continue to actively monitor the
situation and adapt the measures if necessary.
|
|
