Import and processing of insect resistant and herbicide tolerant maize MON87427xMON89034xNK603

The present application (EFSA/GMO/BE/2013/117) concerns import and processing for use in feed and food of genetically modified maize MON87427xMON89034xNK603. Cultivation is not part of this application.
Maize MON87427xMON89034xNK603 expresses the cry1A.105, cry2Ab2, cp4 epsps and cp4 epsps L214P genes. As a result it is resistant to certain lepidopteran insects and tolerant to glyphosate containing herbicides.
MON87427xMON89034xNK603 was produced by conventional crossbreeding. Previously, COGEM issued positive opinions on import and processing of MON87427, MON89034, NK603 and MON89034xNK603. COGEM also advised positively on cultivation of parental line NK603. The molecular characterization of MON87427xMON89034xNK603 is updated and meets the criteria of COGEM.
During its long domestication process, maize has lost its ability to survive in the wild. In the
Netherlands, the appearance of maize volunteers is rare and establishment of volunteers in the wild has never been reported. There are no reasons to assume that the introduced traits will allow maize MON87427xMON89034xNK603 to establish feral populations. The introduced sequences cannot spread to closely related species since wild relatives of maize are not present in Europe.
In view of the above, COGEM is of the opinion that incidental spillage of MON87427x MON89034xNK603 poses a negligible risk to the environment. COGEM abstains from giving advice on the potential risks of incidental consumption since a food/feed assessment is already carried out by other organizations.
In conclusion, COGEM considers the environmental risks associated with import and processing of maize MON87427xMON89034xNK603 to be negligible.