THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety(1), and in particular Article 53(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Articles 4(2) and 16(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on genetically modified food and feed(2) provide that no genetically modified food or feed is to be placed on the Union market unless it is covered by an authorisation granted in accordance with that Regulation. Articles 4(3) and 16(3) of the same Regulation lay down that no genetically modified food and feed may be authorised unless it has been adequately and sufficiently demonstrated that it does not have adverse effects on human health, animal health or the environment, that it does not mislead the consumer or the user, and that it does not differ from the food or feed it is intended to replace to such an extent that its normal consumption would be nutritionally disadvantageous for humans or animals.
(2) In September 2006, rice products originating in or consigned from China, contaminated with the unauthorised genetically modified rice Bt 63, were discovered in the United Kingdom, France and Germany and were notified to the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). Notwithstanding the measures announced by the Chinese authorities to control the presence of that unauthorised Genetically Modified Organism (GMO), several other alerts concerning the presence of the unauthorised genetically modified rice Bt 63 were subsequently reported.
(3) Considering the continuing alerts and the lack of sufficient guarantees from the Chinese competent authorities concerning the absence of the unauthorised genetically modified rice Bt 63 in products originating in or consigned from China, Commission Decision 2008/289/EC(3) was adopted which introduced emergency measures regarding the unauthorised GMO Bt 63 in rice products. That Decision required that prior to placing on the market, operators should submit an analytical report to the relevant Member State competent authorities demonstrating that the consignment of rice products was not contaminated with genetically modified rice Bt 63. Additionally, that Decision provided for Member States to take appropriate measures, including random sampling and analysis carried out using a specific method described therein, concerning products presented for importation or already on the market.
(4) In March 2010, Germany notified the RASFF with regard to the presence of new rice varieties carrying unauthorised genetic elements encoding insect resistance which had characteristics similar to the GMO Kefeng 6. Subsequently, several additional similar alerts were notified, which in addition to Kefeng 6, also included the presence of another insect resistant rice line which contained genetic elements similar to the GMO Kemingdao 1 (KMD1). Kefeng 6 and KMD1 are not authorised either in the Union or China.
(5) All RASFF notifications were notified to the relevant Chinese authorities and additionally the Commission wrote to the authorities both in June 2010 and February 2011 requesting action to address the increasing number of alerts.
(6) The Food and Veterinary Office conducted an inspection in China in October 2008 with the objective of evaluating the implementation of Decision 2008/289/EC, which was subsequently followed up with another mission in March 2011. The conclusions of the 2008 mission and the initial findings of the 2011 mission indicated uncertainty as to the level, type and number of genetically modified rice varieties which may have contaminated rice products originating in or consigned from China, and that therefore there was a high risk of further introductions of unauthorised GMOs in such rice products.
(7) In light of the findings of the 2008 and 2011 missions of the Food and Veterinary Office, and the numerous RASFF notifications concerning unauthorised genetically modified rice events, the measures provided by Decision 2008/289/EC should be enhanced accordingly so as to prevent any contaminated product being placed on the Union market. Therefore it is necessary to replace Decision 2008/289/EC by means of this Decision.
(8) Taking into account the fact that no genetically modified rice products are authorised in the Union, it is appropriate to extend the scope of measures provided for by Decision 2008/289/EC, which is limited to genetically modified rice Bt 63, and to broaden it to all genetically modified organisms found in rice products originating in or consigned from China. The obligation to provide an analytical report on sampling and analysis demonstrating the absence of genetically modified rice events, established by Decision 2008/289/EC, should be maintained. However, it is appropriate to reinforce Member State controls through enhanced frequency of sampling and analysis which should be set at 100 % of all consignments of rice products originating from China, and to introduce the obligation for food and feed operators to give prior notification of the estimated date, time and place of the physical arrival of the consignment.
(9) Sampling methodologies play a crucial role in obtaining representative and comparable results; it is therefore appropriate to define a common protocol for sampling and analysis for the control of the absence of genetically modified rice in imports originating from China. The principles for reliable sampling procedures for bulk agricultural commodities are laid down in Commission Recommendation 2004/787/EC of 4 October 2004 on technical guidance for sampling and detection of genetically modified organisms and material produced from genetically modified organisms as or in products in the context of Regulation (EC) No 1830/2003(4) and for prepacked food in CEN/TS 15568 or equivalent. With regard to feed, such principles laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 152/2009 of 27 January 2009 laying down the methods of sampling and analysis for the official control of feed(5) shall apply.
(10) Due to the number of potential genetically modified rice events, the lack of validated detection methods and control samples of adequate quality and quantity, and in order to facilitate controls, it is appropriate to replace the method for sampling and analysis provided for in the Decision 2008/289/EC with the analytical screening methods provided in Annex II.
(11) The new proposed screening methods for analysis should be based on Recommendation 2004/787/EC. It particularly takes into account that currently available methods are qualitative and should address the detection of a unauthorised GMO for which there is no tolerance threshold for sampling and analysis.
(12) The European Reference Laboratory for Genetically Modified Food and Feed (EU-RL GMFF) within the Joint Research Centre (JRC) verified and confirmed the suitability of the proposed screening methods for the detection of genetically modified rice.
(13) For the purpose of the sampling and detecting activities required in order to prevent that products containing unauthorised rice events are placed on the market, it is necessary that both operators and official services follow such methods of sampling and analysis provided for in Annex II. In particular it is necessary that account is taken of the guidance provided by the EU-RL GMFF concerning the application of these methods.
(14) Rice products, as listed in Annex I, originating in or consigned from China, should be released for free circulation only if they are accompanied by an analytical report and health certificate issued by the Entry Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau of the People’s Republic of China (AQSIQ) in accordance with the models laid down in Annex III and IV to this Decision.
(15) In order to be able to have a continuous assessment of the control measures, it is appropriate to introduce an obligation for Member States to report regularly to the Commission concerning official controls on consignments of rice products originating or consigned from China.
(16) The measures provided for in this Decision should be proportionate and no more restrictive of trade than is required and should therefore cover only products originating in or consigned from China and considered likely to be contaminated with unauthorised genetically modified rice events. Given the range of products that could be contaminated with such unauthorised genetically modified rice events, it seems appropriate to target all food and feed products which have rice listed as an ingredient. Some products, however, may or may not be containing, consisting or produced from rice. It seems therefore proportionate to allow operators to issue a simple declaration when the product is not containing, consisting or produced from rice, thus avoiding the compulsory analysis and certification.
(17) The situation concerning the possible contamination of rice product with unauthorised genetically modified rice lines should be reviewed within 6 months in order to assess whether the measures provided for in this Decision are still necessary.
(18) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: