"A" item note: Approval of the second-reading amendments to the common position for the proposed Regulation on GMOs

Brussels, 15 Jul 2003

Full text of Document 11284/03
Suite of documents 11284/03

No. prev. doc.: 10811/03
Nos Cion props: 11576/01 , 13132/02
Subject: Approval of the European Parliament's second-reading amendments to the common position adopted by the Council on the proposal for a Regulation on genetically modified food and feed
COMMON GUIDELINES
Consultation deadline: 17.07.03

I. INTRODUCTION

1. On 30 July 2001, the Council received from the Commission a proposal for the above Regulation 1 based on Articles 37, 95 and 152(4)(b) TEC.

2. Following the European Parliament's first-reading Opinion delivered on 3 July 2002,2 the Commission submitted an amended proposal on 8 October 2002 pursuant to Article 250(2) TEC. 3

The Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions delivered their Opinions on 29 May 2002 4 and 16 May 2002, 5 respectively.

3. The Council adopted its common position 6 on 17 March 2003.

II. SECOND READING BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND ACTION TO BE TAKEN

1. At its sitting on 2 July 2003, the Parliament passed 9 amendments 7 to the common position on the second reading, all of which were accepted by the Commission.

2. At its meeting on 11 July 2003, the Permanent Representatives Committee confirmed that these amendments are acceptable.

3. The Council is therefore invited to approve all the European Parliament's amendments, with the LUX, A and UK 8 delegation voting against, as an "A" item at a forthcoming meeting, so that the Regulation would be deemed to have been adopted in the form of the common position thus amended, in accordance with Article 251(3) of the EC Treaty.

4 OJ C 221 of 17/09/02, p. 114.
5 OJ C 8 of 14/11/02, p. 031.
6 15776/02 (OJ C113 of 13/05/03, p.1).
7 Doc. 10811/03 .
8 To date, the DK delegation has not been in a position to lift its parliamentary scrutiny reserve.

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