Question number: EFSA-Q-2008-313
Adopted
date: 03/07/2008
Summary
On 13
September 2007, Greece notified to the
European Commission a ministerial
decision concerning the extension of
validity and amendment of an existing
safeguard measure invoked under Article
23 of Directive 2001/18/EC and Article
18 of Directive 2002/53/EC (safeguard
clause) to provisionally prohibit the
cultivation of the authorised
genetically modified maize MON810 on its
territory. The European Commission
received from Greece a written
submission, composed of two notes
accompanied with supporting documents.
As a consequence, the European Commission requested in a letter, dated 18 April 2008, a scientific opinion as to whether there is any scientific reason to deem that the placing on the market of MON810 seeds is likely to cause any adverse effects on human health and the environment justifying the Greek safeguard measure.
In the light of the information package provided by the Greek authorities in support of its safeguard clause and, having considered all relevant publications, the EFSA’s Scientific Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO Panel) concludes that, in terms of risk to human and animal health and the environment, no new scientific evidence was presented that would invalidate the previous risk assessments of genetically modified maize MON810. The GMO Panel also concludes that no new scientific data or information was provided in support of adverse effects of maize MON810 on the beekeeping industry in Greece, nor on human and animal health.
Therefore, no specific scientific evidences, in terms of risk to human and animal health and the environment, were provided that would justify a prohibition of cultivation of maize MON810 authorised in Greece.