Tag: EU
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British Heart Foundation Urges MEPs to Reform Food Labeling
British Heart Foundation Chief Executive Peter Hollins has penned an article in the April 2010 issue of Parliament Magazine that urges members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to undertake more stringent reform of food labeling laws. “To improve diets across Europe, the European Heart Network (EHN) advocates for clear and consistent labels on all foods…
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EFSA Establishes Acceptable Daily Intake for Steviol Glycosides
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources has assessed “the safety of steviol glycosides, sweeteners extracted from plant leaves, and established an Acceptable Daily Intake [ADI] for their safe use.” According to EFSA, toxicological testing showed that the substances, such as stevioside and rebaudioside, “are not genotoxic, nor carcinogenic,…
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EU Settles WTO Dispute with Argentina over Biotech Agriculture
The European Union (EU) and Argentina have apparently reached an agreement in a dispute before the World Trade Organization (WTO) involving genetically engineered products and the application of biotechnology to agriculture. The agreement, which provides for the establishment of a regular dialogue on these issues, follows a similar agreement the EU struck with Canada, which,…
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MEPs Put the Brakes on Traffic-Light Labeling
The European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) has apparently issued a legislative report that recommends several changes to EU food labeling laws, but stops short of proposing a uniform “traffic light” system. After considering more than 800 amendments to draft legislation, ENVI approved “minor changes to existing rules on information…
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EU Approves GM Potato for Cultivation; Some Members Criticize Move
The European Commission (EC) has reportedly approved for the first time in 12 years a genetically modified (GM) crop to be grown solely for industrial or animal feed purposes in the European Union. EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy John Dalli told reporters that the GM Amflora potato produced by the German company BASF…
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EC Proposes Ban on Trade in Bluefin Tuna
The European Commission (EC) has proposed that the European Union prohibit international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna, favored by sushi eaters in Japan and elsewhere. According to the announcement, member states will discuss the proposal to reach a common EU position before the March 2010 meeting in Doha of the Convention on International Trade in…
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EC Report Provides Overview of Projects Tracking Public Debate on Nanotechnology
The European Commission has released a report, “Understanding Public Debate on Nanotechnologies: Options for Framing Public Policy,” that discusses several commission projects designed to assess “the nature of public debate on nanosciences and nanotechnologies, and the ways in which deliberative approaches could lead to better governance of these technologies.” The overview includes summaries of the…
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EU Signs Deal on Banana Imports, Ending Long-Running Trade Dispute
EU ambassadors this week signed an agreement with Latin American and U.S. officials to end “a 15-year dispute over EU banana imports,” according to a December 15, 2009, press release, which described the impasse as “the longest trade dispute in history.” The European Union has apparently agreed to “gradually cut its import tariff on bananas…