The Commission has decided to bring more scientific consistency and transparency to the way EFSA approves and delivers its decisions on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
The Commission decided on 12 April 2006 to introduce practical changes to the EFSA’s GMO approval process so that the scientific consistency and transparency of its decisions on GMOs will be improved. The Commission invites the EFSA, for example, to fully co-operate with member states national scientific bodies and to provide them with a detailed justification in case it rejects scientific objections raised by the national authorities. The Commission is also set to reserve itself the right to suspend the authorisation procedure and refer back the question if a member state raises “important new scientific questions”, which are not fully adressed by the EFSA opinion.