GMO UNIT European Food Safety Authority • Largo N. Palli 5/a • I-43100 • Parma Tel. +39 0521036111 • Fax +39 0521036110 • info@efsa.europa.eu • www.efsa.europa.eu Parma, 18 December 2008 BILATERAL TECHNICAL MEETING BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE EFSA PANEL ON GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS AND AUSTRIAN DELEGATION AUSTRIAN SAFEGUARD CLAUSE ON GM MAIZE MON810 AND MAIZE T25 EFSA Meeting report of the meeting of 02 December 2008 The below report does reflect EFSA's understanding of the meeting. This report is not, and cannot be regarded as, representing the position, the views or the policy of the European Food Safety Authority or of any national or EU Institution, agency or body. Participants Austrian delegation of 7 experts led by Eva Lang (Bundesministerium für Gesundheit, Familie und Jugend) EFSA GMO Panel: Detlef Bartsch, Niels Hendriksen, Jozsef Kiss, Gijs Kleter, Harry Kuiper, Joe Perry, Joachim Schiemann, Jeremy Sweet EFSA ENV WG: Sue Hartley, Gerd Neemann, Marco Nuti EFSA GMO Unit: Per Bergman (Chair), Yann Devos, Elisabeth Waigmann European Commission: Helen Clayton, Yannis Karamitsios 1. Welcome The Chair of the meeting welcomed the Austrian delegation, members of the EFSA GMO Panel and its WG, as well as observers from the European Commission. 2. Tour de table Participants introduced themselves during a tour de table. 3. Historical, legal and practical aspects relating to the Austrian safeguard clause A representative from the European Commission presented the historical and legal background of the Austrian safeguard clause, and its request, directed at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), to provide a scientific opinion on the documents submitted by Austria. According to the mandate of the European Commission, EFSA was requested “to assess whether the information submitted by Austria comprises information affecting the environmental risk assessment of existing information on the basis of new scientific knowledge such that detailed grounds exist to consider that the above authorised GMOs, for the uses laid down in the corresponding consent, constitute a risk to the environment”. In order to reinforce scientific co-operation with national institutions, and in order to ensure a more effective mode of collaboration on scientific issues, EFSA was also invited “to contact