Contained use of genetically modified micro-organisms GMM (amend. Directive 90/219/EEC)

Adopting the report by Mr Antennas TRAKATELLIS (PPE, GR), the European Parliament called for legal basis of this directive to be changed (from article 130 S, 1 to article 100 A, so that the Parliament/Council co-decision procedure applied). Although the Council retained 28 of the 35 amendments adopted by Parliament in its common position, the rapporteur re-presented a number of amendments for second reading. These amendments, which were accepted by the plenary, called for a more accurate definition of the term "contained use" and for the risks to be re-assessed where the competent authority was aware that the assessment was no longer adequate. Parliament called for the possibility for the applicant to obtain a decision within 45 days. It called for the public to be informed of emergency plans and relevant health and environmental safety measures before contained use commenced. Parliament called for inspections and controls in order to ensure that the directive was properly applied. It also insisted that users of GMMs assume full civil and criminal liability for any damage to human health or the environment caused and proposed in particular that they take out sufficient liability insurance to cover any losses occasioned before beginning their activities. With reference to the criteria for exclusion from the field of application of the directive of certain GMMs which are not considered to present a risk to human health or to the environment, the European Parliament called for the participation of the European Parliament in this procedure. The same applied to the participation of Parliament in the risk assessment procedure. The European Parliament also called for a clear definition of the risk assessment procedure which users of GMMS were required to apply. However, the European Parliament rejected the amendment tabled by the Committee on the Environment calling for users to provide a certificate of sufficient liability insurance cover to compensate everyone who may suffer as the result of GMM containment measures.�