The EU Food and Feed Chain coalition - comprising all key parts of the food and feed chain whose members are directly impacted by EU policies related to GMOs - has welcomed the EU decision to participate in the proposed Codex technical consultation on low levels of genetically modified crops in international food and feed trade.

The European Feed Manufacturers Federation (FEFAC) says that the EU expressed its wish to be involved after the FAO proposed to host and facilitate the preparatory process for the technical consultation and its follow-up.

The FFC expressed, in a letter to the European Commission, that whilst the EU intends to have a regulatory system in place for science-based decisions on GM products, there is still no clear policy as to how the EU, in cooperation with trading partners, will manage the growing problem of the low-level presence of GM events already authorised in certain markets but not in all countries.

Also, there has been little evaluation of the impacts of these regulatory divergences on the availability and price of commodities, food security or effects on international trade.

The coalition highlighted the need for a more long-lasting strategic policy on this issue beyond efforts of analytical harmonisation, and considers this international dialogue as an important stepping stone to establishing a coherent strategy.

At the event 'Growing Voices' on 22 January 2014, organised by EuropaBio, José Romao Braz will give a presentation on the asynchronous approval of GMO varieties in the EU and the challenges in remaining competitive on behalf of FEFAC and IACA.