Parlement européen : REPONSE à Question E-000445-19 de Marietje Schaake (ALDE) sur l’importation de nourriture modifiée par la technologie Crispr-Cas

Niveau juridique : Union européenne

Texte de la question

« Last week, a Dutch newspaper published the results of an investigation into Canadian grown or produced food imported into Europe(1).

The investigation revealed that fruit and vegetables grown with the use of so-called CRISPR-Cas technology can enter the European market undetected. In 2018, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that such technology should be considered as a form of genetically modified food.

The Dutch food safety authority has indicated it cannot yet detect the use of CRISPR-Cas technology.

1. Is the Commission aware of food modified with CRISPR-Cas technology being imported from Canada for the European market?

2. What measures is it taking to make sure that food imported from countries using CRISPR-Cas technologies can be tested, or labelled accordingly under applicable trade agreements between the EU and third countries, so as to ensure that European consumers are aware of what they are buying? »

(1) fd.nl/ondernemen/1285437/gemuteerd-voedsel-kan-via-canada-toch-naar-nederland

Texte de la réponse

« 1. The Commission is not aware of food modified with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas technology being imported from Canada to the EU.

2. Products placed on the market in the EU, whether imported or produced in the EU, have to fulfil the requirements of the EU legislation. The burden of proof is on economic operators, including verification that unauthorised genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are not placed on the market and that traceability and labelling rules for authorised GMOs (as set by the EU legislation) are fulfilled.

Member States are responsible for the enforcement of the GMO legislation. The Commission is aware of the analytical challenges faced by Member States in testing products developed by new mutagenesis techniques, including the technology the Honourable Member is referring to. To support Member States, the Commission has requested the European Union Reference Laboratory for Genetically Modified Food and Feed and the European Network of GMO laboratories to elaborate a report on the current and future possibilities and limitations regarding the detection of food or feed obtained by new mutagenesis techniques. The report should be finalised by mid 2019 ».

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