Regulating Agri-Biotechnology through Information: The European Union and its System for Labeling Foods Containing, Consisting of, & Produced From Genetically Modified Organisms

Abstract

There are few issues more controversial in the European Union than the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the food production chain. The original intent of the EU’s GM food regulations was to harmonize the discrepancies in Member States’ laws in order to facilitate the free flow of goods in the internal market and to establish producer-friendly lax standards, such as the absence of mandatory labeling provisions. The type of system constructed, however, was a stringent labeling scheme that has expanded significantly in scope and information requirements since its creation in 1997. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the regulation of labeling for genetically modified food in the European Union, focusing on the factors that led to the creation of the system, the reasons for its rapid expansion, and its implications for the international community as a whole.