Regulation (EC) No 1830/2003 lays down a harmonised framework for the traceability of genetically modified organisms, hereinafter "GMOs", and of food and feed products produced from GMOs through the transmission and holding of relevant information by operators for such products at each stage of their placing on the market.

Under that Regulation, an operator placing on the market products containing or consisting of GMOs is required to include, as part of that relevant information, the unique identifier assigned to each GMO as a means of indicating its presence and reflecting the specific transformation event covered by the consent or authorisation for placing that GMO on the market.

Unique identifiers should be developed in accordance with a particular format in order to ensure consistency both at Community and international level.

The consent or authorisation granted for the placing on the market of a given GMO under Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 March 2001 on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms and repealing Council Directive 90/220/EEC2 or other Community legislation should specify the unique identifier for that GMO. Moreover, the person applying for such consent should ensure that the application specifies the appropriate unique identifier.

Where, prior to the entry into force of this Regulation, consents have been granted for the placing on the market of GMOs under Council Directive 90/220/EEC of 23 April 1990 on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms3, it is necessary to ensure that a unique identifier is or has been developed, assigned and appropriately recorded for each GMO covered by those consents.

In order to take account of and maintain consistency with developments in international fora, it is appropriate to have regard to the formats for unique identifiers established by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), for use in the context of its BioTrack product database and in the context of the Biosafety clearing house established by the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

For the purposes of the full application of Regulation (EC) No 1830/2003, it is essential that this Regulation apply as a matter of urgency.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee set up under Article 30 of Directive 2001/18/EC,