Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are plants, animals and micro-organisms whose genetic characteristics have been artificially modified to create a new property. For example, genetic engineering can be used to boost a plant’s resistance to a particular insect or improve the nutritional value of a food. The first GMOs were cultivated in the United States in the mid-1990s and by the end of the decade the Commission was receiving industry requests for GMOs to
be authorised for use in the EU under the Novel Foods Regulation. However, the development and spread of this new gene-altering technology caused concern amongst many EU citizens. People
wanted reassurance that GMOs did not pose any risk to human or animal health, and that the cultivation of GM crops would not adversely effect the environment. The Commission therefore devised a strict new body of legislation specifically for GMOs, with a view to protecting human
and animal health and the environment in a balanced, risk-based manner. Scientific evaluation and advice became the basis for any legislative decision on GMOs.