European Union Policy
Labeling
Government Endorsement of Scientific Research on GMOs
GMOs vs. Domestic Foods
Tracking and Evaluation Post-Market
- Regulation No. 1139/98 federally mandates the labeling of GMO products in all countries of the European Union.
- Regulation No. 49/2000 establishes that the EU tolerates only 1% of unlabeled GMO products.
- Regulation 1829/2003 states that products that contain more than 0.9% genetically modified foods or ingredients must be labeled.
Government Endorsement of Scientific Research on GMOs
- Regulation 1830/2003 mandates identification and traceability of GMOs through scientific studies and analysis
- The EU uses funds to maintain specialized government organizations to advance scientific research of GMOs.
- In 2010, the EU released its report on GMOs after a decade of scientific study on GMOs. The report was titled “A Decade of EU-Funded GMO Research (2001-2010)." It was unable draw conclusive information on the safety of GMOs, but it was used to promote the safety assessment of GMOs.
GMOs vs. Domestic Foods
- EU creates GMO-specific mandates such as those on labeling, traceability, and identification.
- EU values the “farm-to-table” philosophy of food safety in order to keep track of GMOs from when they are grown to the moment they are eaten by consumers.
Tracking and Evaluation Post-Market
- The EU regulates traceability, labeling, and risk assessment of GMOs primarily after they are released to the market. These regulations are GMO-specific.
- The EU maintains an annual report called the Post-Market Monitoring Report to provide an evaluation of the yearly treatment and handling of GMOs in the EU.
- The EU’s system of regulating GMOs works by monitoring GMOs on a case-by case basis. For instance, regulators in Germany monitor the distribution of genetically modified corn using the labeling regulations put forth by the EU.