§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to ensure importers of cotton are able to determine whether cotton has been genetically modified. [93150]
§ Mr. Wilson[holding answer 26 July 1999]: Under the "gmo" Directive (Directive 90/220/EEC) and the "novel foods" Regulation (Regulation (EC) 258-97), genetically modified cotton plants may not be cultivated in the EU, and products derived from such plants that enter the human or animal food chains may not be imported into the EU.
Raw cotton, cotton textiles and made-up cotton textiles derived from genetically modified cotton plants fall outside the scope of that legislation. In these circumstances it is for importers wishing to establish whether or not such products are derived from genetically modified cotton plants to do so in the course of their commercial dealings with the exporter.