14/07/2014: EU Commission decision delay may lead to shortages of vital food and feed imports

In a joint statement Europe leading feed and food industry organisations COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC call on the European Commission to safeguard vital imports of soybeans, maize and various protein-rich products derived thereof from the key exporting regions to the EU adding that the food and feed chain needs urgently legal certainty. 

Three leading European food and feed industry organisation call on the EU Commission for decisive action

By unlocking urgently and by July 2014 the EU authorization of eight GM products (1) for import, food and feed processing the college of Commissioners will provide the necessary legal certainty to food and feed business operators.

The EU depends for 75 percent of its needs for protein-rich ingredients for feeding purpose on the global world markets. Some of these GM products, maize, soy and rapeseed are already commercialised abroad, others will be harvested and made available in the key exporting regions to the EU as from autumn 2014. 

Further delays in the EU authorization process may, therefore, lead to significant shortage and trade disruptions due to unavoidable presence of these GM events in our supplies of both GM and non-GM material. This would trigger uncertainty on import flows, supply chain disruptions and price hikes for basic food products and major feed ingredients as well as undermine the competitiveness of the EU food, feed and livestock sectors, if a decision is not taken in July 2014, says the three organisation through a joint press statement.

The eight GM products have been deemed safe by the European Food Safety Authority (ESFA) and have reached the final stage of the risk management process. The decisions for the related EU import authorizations lay in the hands of the EU Commission: some of them are awaited since the end of 2013.

Footnote:
(1) Maize MON 87460, Rapeseed GT 73, Soybean 305423, Soybean MON87708, Soybean MON87705, Soybean BPS-CV127-9, Maize T25 and Cotton T304-40

The organisations:COCERAL - 98, Rue du Trône• B • 1050 Bruxelles 

Tel: +32 2 502 08 08 • Fax: +32 2 502 60 30 • Email: secretariat@coceral.com
FEDIOL - 168, Avenue de Tervuren (Box 12) • B - 1150 • Brussels 

Tel: +32 (0)2 771 53 30 • Fax: +32 (0)2 771 38 17 • Email : fediol@fediol.eu
FEFAC - Rue de la Loi 223, Bte 3 B-1040 • Bruxelles 

Tel: (32-2) 285.00.50 • Fax: (32-2) 230.57.22 • Email: fefac@fefac.eu 

 The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.