COMMISSION DECISION of 4 November 1994 establishing simplified procedures concerning the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified plants pursuant to Article 6 (5) of Council Directive 90/220/EEC (Only the Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish texts are authentic) (94/730/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 90/220/EEC of 23 April 1990 on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms 1, as last amended by Commission Directive 94/15/EC 2, and in particular Article 6 (5) thereof,

Whereas, where a competent authority considers that sufficient experience has been obtained of releases of certain genetically modified organisms (GMOs), it may submit to the Commission a request for the application of simplified procedures for the release for such types of GMOs;

Whereas such a request has been submitted by the competent authorities of the Member States who consider that sufficient experience has been obtained of releases of certain genetically modified plants;

Whereas Commission Decision 93/584/EEC 3 establishes the criteria to enable the Commission to decide on the application of simplified procedures; whereas these criteria are based on safety to human health and the environment and on the evidence available on such safety;

Whereas the Commission has examined the requests submitted by the United Kingdom and France for the application of simplified procedures for certain releases of genetically modified plants and the evidence submitted, and has subsequently evaluated these requests in the light of the criteria already established;

Whereas the Commission has concluded that the requested simplified procedures are in conformity with the established criteria, and that sufficient experience has been obtained of releases of certain GMOs to justify the introduction of the requested simplified procedures;

Whereas it is important, in the interests of the greatest possible applicability of uniform procedures, compatible with considerations of safety to human health and the environment, that all Member States should have the opportunity to join in any request for the application of simplified procedures; whereas to this effect an appropriate procedure has been established;

Whereas in accordance with that procedure the competent authorities of France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands and the Federal Republic of Germany have notified the Commission of their intention to apply the simplified procedures foreseen in this Decision;

Whereas this Decision is in accordance with the opinion of the Committee established pursuant to Article 21 of Directive 90/220/EEC,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: