| Author (Corporate) | European Commission |
|---|---|
| Series Title | COM |
| Series Details | (2013) 893 final (18.12.13) |
| Publication Date | 18/12/2013 |
| Content Type | Policy-making |
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Cloning is a relatively new technique of asexual reproduction of animals producing near exact genetic copies of the animal cloned, i.e. without modification of genes. In food production cloning is a new technique. Hence, under the current legislative framework, food from clones falls under the scope of the Novel Food Regulation and is thus subject to pre-market approval based on a safety risk assessment. In 2008 the Commission presented a proposal to streamline the approval process in the Novel Food Regulation. In the legislative procedure lawmakers aimed to amend the proposal to introduce specific rules on cloning. Yet no agreement was reached on the scope and features of these insertions so that the proposal was not adopted by the co-legislators after the Conciliation failed in March 2011. As a result the Commission was asked to prepare a legislative proposal on cloning in food production based on an impact assessment outside the Novel Food Regulation. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded that there is no indication of any difference for food safety for meat and milk of clones and their progeny compared with those of conventionally bred animals. However EFSA has identified animal welfare hazard related to the low efficiency of the technique. It up-dated its opinion on cloning of animals last in 2012 concluding that scientific knowledge available on cloning has increased but that nevertheless its efficiency remains low compared to other reproduction techniques. The objective of this proposal is to address consumer perceptions on the use of food from animal clones. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2013:893:FIN |
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| Subject Categories | Business and Industry |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
