Relevant European Institutions
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Directorate General on Health and Consumer Protection
The DG Sanco is the principal responsible for the safety, risk assessment and approval of GMOs within the European Union. Since 2010 it is headed by Commissioner John Dalli (Malta). Commissioner John Dalli
Standing Committee on the Food Chain
This regulatory Committee is is chaired by DG Sanco and comprised of representatives of the Member States competent authorities for GMO safety. A special section on Genetically Modified Food and Feed and Environmental Risk deals with GMO approvals. If a qualified majority of this Committee votes in favour of a Commission proposal to approve a new GMO, it is immediately approved, else the Commission proposal is forwarded to the Council of Ministers.
Questions and answers about GMOs in seeds
Standing Committee on Seeds and Propagating Material
This Committee is chaired by DG Sanco and comprised of the representatives of the Member States competent authorities for seed and decides on proposals of the Commission on the implementation of the Communities Seed legislation and co-ordinates the Member States technical and legal co-operation in this field. It is supposed to vote on the proposed GMO thresholds for seeds with qualified majority.
Short reports on the meetings of the Committee
European Food Safety Authority EFSA (EFSA)
The primary responsibility of the Authority, which was established in 2002, is to provide scientific advice on all matters with a direct or indirect impact on food safety. The Authority will carry out assessments of risks to the food chain and indeed can carry out scientific assessment on any matter that may have a direct or indirect effect on the safety of the food supply, including matters relating to animal health, animal welfare and plant health. It will co-ordinate the assessment and approval procedure for new GMOs under the Food and Feed Regulation. EFSA Panel on genetically modified organisms and its members The Panel on genetically modified organisms deals with questions on genetically modified organisms as defined in Directive 2001/18/EC relating to deliberate release into the environment and genetically modified food and feed including their derived products. Scientific opinions on GMOs Advisory Groups on the Food Chain
This Committee was comprised of individual scientists to advise the Commission on issues of seeds and pesticides. It has now been taken over by the EFSA panels.
Directorate General on Agriculture and Rural Developement
The DG Agriculture is responsible for issues of co-existence between GM and non-GM agriculture and economic impacts of GMOs on agriculture. It is under the authriority of Commissioner Dacian Ciolos.
Commissioner Dacian Ciolos
Directorate General on Research
The DG Research promotes Biotechnology research and in particular genetic engineering in agriculture. While it has no institutional role in the implementation of GMO legislation it is responsible for the funding of GMO research and PR and runs a promotional web-site on the issue. It is headed by Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn.
Commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn
Joint Research Centre, JRC
The JRC with its different institutes serves as a scientific resource for the Commission. On behalf of DG Sanco the JRC provides public information on GMOs and develops and validates methods for identification (testing) of GMOs. Deliberate releases and placing on the EU market of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) This is the European Unions official publication site for Applications for the placing on the market of GMOs with the option of commenting during the obligatory 30 days commenting period Notifications of experimental releases of GMOs
Directorate General on Environment
The DG environment is responsible for the implementation of Directive 2001/18 on the deliberate release of GMOs into the environment and for setting labelling thresholds for seeds. It is headed by Commissioner Janez Potocnik (Slovenia). Commissioner Janez Potocnik
European Environment Agency, EEA
The EEA plays no institutional role in the regulation of GMO, but has conducted two important environmental assessment studies Genetically Modified Organisms: The significance of gene flow through pollen transfer (March, 2002) Environmental Assessment Report No 2 (1999): Chapter on GMOs.
