Welcome to the Newsletter of EFSA GMO Watch

The EU is split on genetically engineered plants. Only one genetical engineered plant is authorized for cultivation in the EU and even that is banned in several countries. Relatively few GM events are imported as food/feed. The risk assessment if the EFSA GMO Panel is under continuous criticism. But still the daily work of the EFSA goes on and more and more GMO applications are assessed. This is why EFSA GMO Watch was set up to monitor the workings of the EFSA GMO Panel.

Why was the EFSA GMO Watch set up?
Companies are continuously filing applications for new GMOs as food/feed and/or for cultivation, many of them stacked GMOs or hybrids made from GMOs that might not even be authorized in the first place. Once the applications are filed and accepted a process is set in motion in which the member states give their comments, the GMO Panel writes an opinion and later this opinion is open for public consultation at the EU level. Finding a way through all of this ongoing process can be a task in itself - a task that the editors of EFSA GMO Watch have now taken upon themselves in order to give others a better overview. We will provide you with easy access on newly published opinions and applications that are open for consultation, but also with an overview upcoming opinions and other documents. Where possible we will give you an idea of upcoming meeting, and once meeting notes are published we have a look at them for you too. At last not least we keep an eye on any new application filed.
How does this look in practice?
For most genetically engineered plants, individual applications are filed for food/feed purposes with or without cultivation. We have therefore split information about the GMO itself from information about the application procedure. Make sure to check both in case you think information is missing. At the moment there are only few entries in our database, but this will grow over time.
The website will be updated when new opinions are published, applications are filed, or when other relevant events are happening, but to give you an easier overview we will also send out the current information as an email once a month. If you are interested just subscribe to it through our online form