Role of Polish Public Health & EU authorities in introducing GMO products into the environment/market

In order to assure the safe development of modern biotechnology, including GMO, the EU has established a legal framework regulating GMO in food and feed consistent with pursing the global objectives of high levels of human protection, health and welfare, accounting for environment and consumer interests whilst ensuring that the internal market works effectively. Direct market placement of GMO products results in GMO being released into the natural environment which is governed by national/EU regulations to ensure traceability of GMO products in the manufacture and distribution chain. If a business/representative wishes to place a GMO product on the market then a EU place of residence is required and the application is submitted to the appropriate authority, in Poland –the Chief sanitary Inspectorate, The information is then immediately relayed to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) who upon investigation provide a reasoned scientific opinion whether market placement should be allowed based on the best available evidence and expertise. EFSA thus plays a key role in whether a GMO product can legally enter the market. A recent key development in GMO legislation was that the European Commission (24.06.2011) harmonised implementing a zero-tolerance policy on non-authorised GMO material in feed, (EC 619/2011), replacing the previous system where EU countries had separate and different national rules in place. The systems in place are thereby designed to ensure that modifying genetic characteristics in plants or animals to produce new effects do not compromise public health safety in any way.