§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether all members of the European Union are observing the provisions of the "deliberate release directive", 90/220/EEC; and, if not, whether they will encourage the European Union to ensure that this directive is properly observed and enforced. [HL2292]
§ Lord WhittyThe Deliberate Release Directive requires all Member States to ensure that there are measures to avoid adverse effects on human health and the environment, and the committee of competent authorities for the directive meets regularly to exchange information and experience on the implementation of the directive. This forum promotes harmonised implementation.
The appropriate control of the release and marketing of GMOs is decided on the basis of the environmental risk assessment. The lack of a common approach to risk assessment has been problematic in the implementation of the existing directive. The UK has consistently pressed for a common approach to help to ensure a thorough and harmonised appraisal of the risks that each GMO may pose to human health and the environment, and it has been an active participant in the competent authorities' meetings on this issue. The Commission has taken forward those discussions by incorporating the principles for risk assessment in its proposal for the amendment to the directive. Last December, EU Environment Ministers agreed to use the flexibility in the existing directive to implement without delay the principles for risk assessment and monitoring as agreed up till then by member states in the negotiations on the amendment. The UK has requested that the competent authorities exchange information at their next meeting on how these principles are being applied.
The enforcement of this directive is a matter for the European Commission. The UK, of course, fully supports accurate and effective implementation of all EC legislation.