James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 61: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the international diplomatic and political initiatives planned to bring about a synchronisation of the regulatory and approval mechanisms of the US FDA, the EFSA and the FSAI. [27131/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) signed an agreement, last July, designed to facilitate the sharing of information in relation to food safety. This marks the first formal step to promote cooperation between the two agencies aimed at facilitating the sharing of scientific information and setting the tone for future cooperation. It is hoped that the difficulties associated with the lack of synchronization in the GM authorization processes between the EU and the US can be addressed as part of this agreement.