1999 Erklæringer om grundbetingelser for GMO-håndtering
Statement by the Danish, Greek, French, Italian and Luxembourg delegations
concerning the suspension of new GMO authorisations
"The Governments of the following Member States (Denmark, Greece, France, Italy and
Luxembourg), in exercising the powers vested in them regarding the growing and placing on
the
market of genetically modified organisms (GMOs),
given the need to put in place a tighter, more transparent framework, in particular for risk
assessment, having regard to the specifics of European ecosystems, monitoring and labelling,
given the need to restore public and market confidence,
point to the importance of the Commission submitting without delay full draft rules ensuring
labelling and traceability of GMOs and GMO-derived products and state that, pending the
adoption
of such rules, in accordance with preventive and precautionary principles, they will take steps
to
have any new authorisations for growing and placing on the market suspended."
Statement by the Austrian, Belgian, Finnish, German, Netherlands, Spanish and
Swedish delegations
"Being aware of the increasing public concern about the potential risks to health and
environment
linked to the release and the placing on the market of GMOs, the abovementioned
delegations
– stress the need to implement a more transparent and strict framework concerning critical
issues such as risk assessment taking into account the specificity of European ecosystems,
monitoring and labelling as well as the need to restore the trust of public opinion and of the
market;
– reaffirm their intention to work for a rapid finalisation of the legislative process concerning
the proposal for an amendment of Directive 90/220/EEC and invite the European Parliament
to join the Council and the Commission in their intention so that the legislative process can
be
rapidly finalised.
Against this background the Governments of these Member States, having regard to the
precautionary principle set out in Article 174(2) of the Treaty, intend:
– to take a thoroughly precautionary approach in dealing with notifications and authorisations
for the placing on the market of GMOs,
– not to authorise the placing on the market of any GMOs until it is demonstrated that there is
no adverse effect on the environment and human health, and
– to the extent legally possible to apply immediately the principles, especially regarding
traceability and labelling, laid down in the political agreement for a revision of
Directive 90/220/EEC reached by the Council on 24/25 June 1999.
Therefore, these delegations invite the Commission as a matter of urgency to make a
proposal for
effective implementation of the provisions regarding labelling and traceability of GMOs
through the
comitology procedure provided for in Directive 90/220/EEC.