Post Implementation Review of The Specified Products from China (Restriction on First Placing on the Market) (England) Regulations 2012

About this consultation

These regulations relating to England implement EU legislation put in place to prevent unauthorised genetically modified (GM) rice in consignments of rice and rice products from China being placed on the market. 

Statistical data from notifications issued by EU Member States including the UK and by EFTA States and the European Commission under the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) along with data submitted to the European Commission by UK and other Member States in accordance with reporting requirements set down by the EU legislation has been collated and summarised in this report.

We are asking stakeholders for their views on whether the regulations in England have met their objective of maintaining a high level of protection against food and feed containing GM that is not authorised in the EU from being placed on the market; whether anything could be considered which might improve their efficiency and/or minimise potential burdens for food and feed businesses; and whether criminal sanctions are proportionate for enforcing breaches of the regulations.

Within the draft report there are a series of questions to which we would welcome responses in addition to any other comments on the report and the regulations under review. These questions are set out below.

Consultation questions

• To what extent do you think that the regulations have achieved their objective of preventing unauthorised genetically modified rice and rice products from China from being placed on the market in England?
• Do you think that the regulations are sufficiently effective in achieving their objective of preventing unauthorised genetically modified rice and rice products from China from being placed on the market in England? If not, how could the regulations could be enhanced to better meet this objective?
• Do you think that the regulations create any additional burdens compared to the way the EU measures have been implemented in other EU Member States? If so, how could the regulations be enhanced to minimise the burdens in England?
• Do you think that that criminal sanctions are proportionate for enforcing breaches of the regulations? If not, what approach might be more proportionate?

Read the report

Post Implementation Review of The Specified Products from China (Restriction on First Placing on the Market) (England) Regulations 2012 and The Specified Products from China (Restriction on First Placing on the Market) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013.

Comments and views

All comments and views should be sent to:

Ceyhun Güngör
Food Standards Agency
Floor 6 and 7
Clive House
70 Petty France
London SW1H 9EX

Email: ceyhun.gungor@food.gov.uk