AEBC 04/14

 

Updates from Defra and Devolved Administrations September 2004

 

 

DEFRA

 

Applications

·                    There are no new Part B applications.  Details of Part B applications can be found on the Defra website at

www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/regulation/registers.htm  

 

·                    A table of current Part C applications can be found on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/regulation/pdf/euconsent.pdf.  The latest developments have been:

 

Ø                             A vote on NK603 maize was taken at Environment Council 28-29 June.  No QMV was reached. 

 

Ø                             A vote will be taken at 2001/18 Regulatory Committee on 20 September on MON863 maize.   

 

Ø                             It is expected that a vote on GT73 oilseed rape will be taken at the next Environment Council on 14 October.

 

·                                            On 8 September the European Commission approved the addition of 17 varieties derived from MON810 maize to the EU Common Catalogue of Varieties of Agricultural plant species.  This is the first time that GM varieties have been inscribed in the Common Catalogue.  MON810 maize has had Part C marketing consent since April 1998.  Until 8 September MON810 varieties have only been inscribed on national catalogues (6 in France and 11 in Spain) and have only been actually grown in Spain. 

 

Note: Any new applications for GMOs including food and/or feed use will be made under the new Food and Feed Regulations.  Information can be obtained on these new applications from the Food Standards Agency who take the lead. 

 

Co-existence

·                    Full oral update will be given at the meeting

 

Consultations

·                    The period of consultation on the implementation of the new EU regulations on traceability and labeling of GMOs and GM food and animal feed ended on 25 June.  Penalties and offences will be in place by the end of October.  The FSA lead on the food and feed regulations.

 

·                    The period of consultation on the implementation of the new EU regulation on transboundary movements of GMOs ended on 16 August.  Penalties and offences will be in place by the autumn.

 

ACRE

·         [No change] ACRE has established a subgroup to examine the wider issues raised as a result of the farm scale evaluations of GM herbicide tolerant crops.  The group will be holding an open meeting in October to gather evidence on key issues.

 

Research

·                     Details regarding the Defra GMO research projects can be found on the Defra website at: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/research/index.htm  

·                    Two research reports were published on 10 September as follows:

• Mechanisms for Investigating Changes in Soil Ecology due to GMO releases.

www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/research/epg-1-5-214.htm

 

• Consumer willingness to pay to reduce GMOs in food and increase the robustness of GM labelling.

www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/research/epg-1-5-213.htm

 

Aarhus

·                    [No change] The final meeting of the Aarhus Convention's GMO Working Group looking at public participation in GMO decisions is due in October.  The UK continues to play an active and constructive part in discussions to ensure the working group fulfils its mandate.

 

Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC)/AEBC Animals and Biotechnology Report

·        FAWC published its Report on the Welfare Implications of Animal Breeding and Breeding Technologies in Commercial Agriculture on 30 June.

 

·        The FAWC working party response to the AEBC’s Animals and Biotechnology report is now expected to be issued in November.

 

Environmental Liability

·        Member States have until 30 April 2007 to transpose the provisions of the Environmental Liability Directive into national law.  Defra intends to consult stakeholders and more widely in Spring 2005, Autumn 2005 and summer 2006 on options, proposals and draft legislation respectively. 

 

 

 

Scottish Executive

 

·        The Executive is hosting one of the UK wide coexistence workshops on agronomic measures for potatoes and oilseed rape on 14 September.  In addition 2 Scottish coexistence workshops are being held at the beginning of October.  These workshops will cover voluntary GM-free zones, agronomic measures, organic interests and compensation options.

 

·        The consultation for the Traceability and Labelling Regulations concluded on July 16, the Regulations have been updated in light of the consultation and will be laid in September and come into force in October. 

 

·        Preparation of consultation on administrative and enforcement arrangements for implementation of EU Regulations on Transboundary Movements of GMOs (Cartagena Protocol), to be launched shortly.

 

 

 

NORTHERN IRELAND

Department of the Environment in NI (Environmental Policy Group)

 

• Consultation package on the administrative and enforcement arrangements for implementation of EC Regulations on Traceability and Labelling of GMOs and GM Food and Feed issued 19 May 2004. The closing date for responses was 16 August 2004 and 21 responses were received, these are currently being analysed. Penalties and offences will be in place by the end of November 2004. The consultation exercise was carried out jointly by the Department of the Environment and FSANI.

 

• Consultation package on the administrative and enforcement arrangements for implementation of the EC Regulation on Transboundary Movement of GMOs (Cartagena Protocol) issued on 30 July 2004. Closing date for responses is 22 October 2004.

 

• Coexistence discussions underway on the formulation of a strategy for NI. Meetings have recently taken place with colleagues in Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and in the Republic of Ireland.

Formal consultation and stakeholder meetings autumn 2004.

 

• Environmental Liability Directive implementation – Northern Ireland, along with the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales, is represented at a Working Group led by the Department of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and including representatives from other (Whitehall) government departments to take forward the legislative action required to transpose the European Environmental Liability Directive into UK legislation by April 2007.

Detailed plans for the legislative process are currently being drawn up. These will include time for full public consultations, including stakeholder events. While dates have not yet been finalised it is anticipated that the first consultation will take place in the early part of 2005, with a second round in late 2005/early 2006.

 

 

Welsh Assembly

 

·        A Joint consultation with Food Standards Agency Wales on arrangements for implementing and enforcing EC Regulations 1829/2003 covering GM Food and Feed and 1830/2003 covering Traceablility and Labelling of GMOs closed on 28 June 2004.  Responses have been analysed and legislation is being finalised with a view to coming into force in 2005.

 

·        A consultation package on the administrative and enforcement arrangements for implementation of the EC Regulation 1946/2003 on Transboundary Movement of GMOs (Cartagena Protocol) issued on 9 July 2004.  Closing date for responses is 31 October 2004.

 

• Coexistence: The Assembly is working with the other UK administrations to produce a consultation paper on coexistence arrangements.  Welsh representatives have attended stakeholder workshops facilitated by Defra on behalf of the UK administrations.  The Assembly will hold a further stakeholder workshop in Carmarthen on 24 September to allow a wider range of Stakeholders to input into the consultation paper, which is planned for later this year.