§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the notifications of which he has received copies from the EC under Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No. 258/97 since 1 January 1999. [107783]
§ Ms Quin[holding answer 31 January 2000]: Since 1 January 1999 three notifications under Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No. 258/97 have been received. These relate to the placing on the market of processed oil from the following three varieties of genetically modified oilseed rape:
- 1. Falcon GS 40/90—AgrEvo
- 2. Male sterile MS8, fertility restorer RF3, all conventional crosses from these and the hybrid combination (MS8xRF3)— Plant Genetic Systems
- 3. Liberator L62—AgrEvo.
These notifications are based on an assessment by the German competent authority.
§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what specific scientific factors he or his advisers apply in determining whether a particular food or food ingredient contains or consists of genetically modified organisms, for the purposes of Regulation (EC) No. 258/97 or otherwise. [107837]
§ Ms Quin[holding answer 31 January 2000]: For the purposes of Regulation (EC) No. 258/97 food or food ingredients containing or consisting of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) refers to products where 725W GMOs, as defined in article 2(2) of Directive 90/220/EEC, are present. In this definition, an organism is a biological entity capable of replication or of transferring genetic material.