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CAFIA´s Director General, Mr. Jakub Šebesta, signed yesterday in Prague an agreement on which basis CAFIA laboratories will join the “European network of laboratories analysing genetically modified organisms” (European Network of GMO Laboratories – ENGL).

ENGL, based in Ispra (Italy), is originated in initially informal associacion of top European laboratories engaged in the genetically modified organisms (GMO) issues. In December 2002, the network including 45 EU´s professional laboratory workplaces, was in Brussels officially acknowledged the European Commission´s scientific workplace. Since 1 May other 24 laboratories will become a part of ENGL.

ENGL´s main objective is support of Union´s environmental and food policy, practical support of the European Commission´s legislative activity in the field of GMO, co-ordination of activities of individual laboratory workplaces engaged in GMO issues and mutual exchange of experts, special materials, data and information.

Regulation No. 1829/2003, which came into effect on 18 April designates the ENGL centre in Ispra as the Community Reference Laboratory for GMO. This Regulation entails for all GMO producers the obligation to provide the laboratory with reference materials and methods for GMO identification and quantification.

The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority has already in previous years co-operated with ENGL in Ispra. Since 1 May the CAFIA laboratories will become its part, which will allow CAFIA to access the databases of approved GMO, obtain reference material or exchange the experts.

In 2000, was in CAFIA laboratories in Brno created a molecularly-biological workplace for GM food analyses. It is equiped with instrument technology which allows to carry out qualitative and quantitative analysis on the content of GMO in food.