EU member states will have the freedom to decide on the GMOs use for food and feed

The EU Commission presented the outcome of its review of the decision-making process for the authorization of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) as food and feed (for animal).

The Commission proposes to amend the legislation to confer upon member states more freedom to restrict, or prohibit the use of EU-authorized GMOs in food or feed on their territory.

Health and Food Safety Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis explained that the Commission listened to the concerns of many European citizens, reflected in the positions expressed by their national governments.

“The proposal adopted by the Commission sends a strong signal to citizens that Europe takes into account their concerns, which may vary from one country to another. The new approach aims to achieve the right balance between maintaining an EU authorization system and the freedom for Member States to decide on the use of GMOs on their territory”, Andriukaitis added.

What will change is that once a GMO is authorized for use as food or feed in Europe, Member States will have the possibility to decide on whether to opt out from allowing that particular GMO to be used in their food chain.

Member states will have to justify that their opt-out measures comply with EU law, which includes the principles of the Internal Market, and EU's international obligations of which the EU's WTO obligations are an integral part. . Opt-outs shall be based on legitimate reasons other than those assessed at EU level, i.e. risk to human or animal health or the environment.

This legislative proposal will now be sent to the European Parliament and the Council to run its ordinary legislative course.