L 158/20 Official Journal of the European Union 21.6.2005 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 3 March 2005 authorising the placing on the market of foods and food ingredients derived from genetically modified maize line NK 603 as novel foods or novel food ingredients under Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the European Parliament and of the Council (notified under document number C(2005) 580) (Only the French and Dutch texts are authentic) (2005/448[EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 1997 concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients (), (hereinafter referred to as the Regulation), and in particular Article 7 thereof, Whereas: On 24 April 2001, Monsanto submitted to the competent authorities of the Netherlands a request, in accordance with Article 4 of the Regulation, for placing on the market foods and food ingredients derived from genetically modified maize line NK 603 as novel foods or as novel food ingredients. In their initial assessment report of 5 November 2002, the Netherlands’ competent food assessment body came to the conclusion that foods and food ingredients derived from maize NK 603 are as safe as foods and food ingre- dients derived from conventional maize and may be used in the same manner. () OJ L 43, 14. 2.1997, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1882/2003 (O] L 284, 31.10.2003, p. 1). () The Commission forwarded the initial assessment report to all Member States on 6 January 2003. Within the 60 days period laid down in Article 6(4) of the Regulation, reasoned objections to the marketing of the product were raised in accordance with that provision. On 27 August 2003, the Commission requested an opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), in accordance with Article 11 of the Regulation. On 25 November 2003, EFSA delivered its opinion that NK 603 maize is as safe as conventional maize and therefore the placing on the market of NK 603 maize for food or feed or processing is unlikely to have an adverse effect on human and animal health and, in that context, the environment (). In delivering its opinion, the EFSA considered all specific questions and concerns raised by the Member States. Article 46(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 on genetically modified food and feed (}) provides that requests submitted under Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 258/97 before the date of application of this Regu- lation shall be processed under the provisions of Regu- lation (EC) No 258/97, notwithstanding Article 38 of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003, in cases where the addi- tional assessment report required in accordance with Article 6(3) of Regulation (EC) No 258/97 has been transmitted to the Commission before the date of appli- cation of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003. (®) The EFSA Journal (2003) 9, 1-14. () OJ L 268, 18.10.2003, p. 1.