Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 355: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the procedures in place to monitor future imports of genetically modified seeds, plants or animal food products; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39045/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has in place control measures to monitor the importation of both GM seed and GM animal feed materials.

National legislation is in place requiring all importers of bulk feed material to give my Department prior notification of such material being imported. Documentary checks are carried out on these imports to ensure compliance with the labelling requirements as set out in EU Regulation 1829/2003/EC on GM food and feed. In addition, there is a targeted sampling and analysis system in place, with particular emphasis being placed on imports not labelled as GM.

There are currently no GM seed or GM crops being imported into Ireland. My Department participates, along with many other member states, in an informal arrangement, referred to as the "interim action plan" whereby all seeds imported must be accompanied by a certificate, from a recognised laboratory, indicating that each seed lot has been tested and found to be free of any EU unauthorised GM content or within the threshold for approved GM events. The thresholds used are those proposed by the Commission but are as yet not approved and are 0.3% for cross-pollinating crops and 0.5% for self-pollinating crops. This plan applies to seed of beet, maize, oilseed rape, cotton and tomato.