Brussels, 18 March 2003
The Council adopted by qualified majority - the Luxembourg, Austrian and United-Kingdom delegations voting against - a Common position with a view to the adoption of Regulation on genetically modified food and feed (doc. 5204/03 + 6780/03 ADD1). The aim of this proposal is to guarantee a high level of protection for human life and health, animal health, the environment and consumers' interests as regards genetically modified food and feed, while ensuring that the internal market functions properly; It also establish clear and transparent Community procedures to assess, authorise and monitor genetically modified food and feed and a system for the labelling of genetically modified food and feed. In accordance with the co-decision procedure, the common position will be forwarded to the European Parliament for a second reading.