Genetically modified organisms GMOs: deliberate release into the environment (repeal. Directive 90/220/EEC)

In its first reading, the Parliament approved the Commission's proposal concerning the deliberate release into the environment of GMOs subject to a number of amendments. 101 amendments to the report, drafted by Mr. David BOWE (UK, PES), were tabled. The Parliament voted to limit consent for the authorisation of new GMOs licences to twelve years, as against 7 years proposed by the Commission. The EP demanded stricter rules on compulsory labelling of all GMOs authorised for release, as well as the notification to the competent authorities of a description of the identification methods of the GMO to ensure its traceability. It also called for measures to make GMO manufacturers liable for any damage to human health or the environment caused by their products. The Parliament also voted to modify some of the definitions in Article 1 of the Directive, including, for example, extending the scope of 'environmental risk assessment' to include the evaluation of secondary and long-term effects. The Parliament also inserted an amendment requiring the Member States and the Commission to ensure that no GMO and/or products thereof leave the territory of the EU without the prior informed consent of the importing party/country. A further amendment takes up health concerns and stipulates that GMOs must not contain any antibiotic-resistant genes or traces of toxic substances. Other amendments are designed to enforce strict monitoring of GMOs when they are placed on the market.�