Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 92: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food her views on proposals to change EU law to enable the European Food Safety Authority to conduct its own scientific assessments of the risks associated with allowing a particular application for approval of a particular genetically modified organism; her further views on proposals to empower, subsequent to a change in EU law, the European Food Safety Authority to consider, as part of an application for approval of a particular genetically modified organism, the possibility of long-term risks to the ecosystem should approval of that particular genetically modified organism be granted. [12223/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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While there are no formal proposals by the Commission along the lines suggested, I understand policy debate did take place at the March meeting of the Council of Environment Ministers concerning, inter alia, procedures used by the European Food Safety Authority for risk assessment in the context of decision-making on the approval of new GMOs. There was a call from a number of member states, during the public debate which ensued, for the European Food Safety Authority to improve transparency of the procedures and to provide more appropriate information for consumers.

I support the view expressed at the meeting by my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government that Ireland recognises the independence and the expertise of EFSA and its role in dealing with the scientific aspects of questions. I am also in agreement with the view that it is too early to consider any changes to the regulatory framework given the limited experience with the operation of this framework to date and an absence of clear knowledge on possible scenarios that might arise in the GMO approval system in the future.