Written answers

Thursday, 21 February 2008

Department of Agriculture and Food

Animal Feed

5:00 pm

Photo of Emmet StaggEmmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 44: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the steps she has taken to protect the industry against the threat of adventitious presence in feed imports from non EU approved events; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7104/08]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The adventitious or accidental presence of unauthorised GM events in imported animal feed became an issue last year when it became known that a small area of the 2006 US maize crop was sown with a GM maize variety, referred to as Herculex Rw. The GM event in this crop was authorised in the US but while an application for its approval had been made to the EU, it had not yet obtained authorisation for marketing within the Community. Concern was expressed, both within the EU and the Irish feed industry that this lack of synchronisation in the authorisation process could result in traces of the unauthorised event admixing in imported feed consignments. Officials of my Department worked very closely, with the US Corn Growers Association, which included a visit to the US production areas, as they drew up a segregation plan to minimise the presence of the unauthorised crop in imports. Despite this effort, a consignment of 7,000 tonnes of maize was impounded by my Department, following sampling by Department officials, and was held until October 2007 when the GM event was formally authorised for use within the EU.

I accept there are problems with the lack of synchronisation between the EU and US systems. I have raised this on many occasions with the Commission and will continue to press for a more workable arrangement.

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