Under European legislation, all GMOs and derived products must be evaluated by EFSA before they can be authorised in the EU. For any GMO and derived food or feed to be authorised in the EU, a company must submit an authorisation application in line with European legislation. The European Commission forwards the application to EFSA and requests a scientific risk assessment. EFSA’s GMO Panel carries out a detailed risk assessment to evaluate the safety of the GMO and derived food or feed. The Panel’s independent scientific advice is then used by the Commission and Member States when taking a decision on market approval.

Since 18 April 2004, Genetically Modified Food and Feed applications are regulated in the European Community under Regulation (EC) 1829/2003. It provides for a single Community procedure for the authorisation. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is responsible for the scientific assessment of genetically modified food and feed.

More detailed information on each application, including status, question numbers and deadlines, are available through the Register of Question.