Although as yet there have been no applications for market approval of GM animals submitted in the EU, the technology has advanced rapidly and the European Commission has requested comprehensive guidance in anticipation of this happening. The first step, giving guidance on the safety of food and feed derived from GM animals, was published in 2011.
The latest consultation is inviting comments from stakeholders and interested parties on the draft guidelines, which outline the information that future applicants for market authorisation in the European Union (EU) would have to supply.
A statement from EFSA said that an the environmental risk management process would be carried out on a case-by-case basis, by being compared to non-GM animals, which are used as the base-line.