April 1997 |
More than 1,2 million Austrians sign the Austrian referendum against GMOs and declare their wish for GMO-free food. |
June 1997 |
Greenpeace, Global 2000, Bio-Ernte Austria as well as companies from the food sector and retail found the platform for GMO-free food. |
Sept. 1997 |
ARGE Gentechnik-frei presents the first „Definition of GMO-free produced food“. |
Beg. 1998 |
First products – for the time being primarily organic products – with the green label „Gentechnik-frei erzeugt“ can be bought in local supermarkets. |
April 1998 |
The Austrian Codex Alimentarius adopts the first „Directive for the definition of Freedom from GMO“. |
Aug. 1999 |
With the entry into force of the EU Organic Regulation 2092/91, organic products are fully required to be GMO-free by law. |
Aug. 1999 |
The bakery Hager in Murau introduces the first conventionally produced, GMO-free labelled bread and pastries onto the (regional) market. |
April 2003 |
Toni’s Freilandeier (free-range eggs) introduces conventionally produced, GMO-free labelled products onto the market all-over Austria for the first time. |
Aug. 2003 |
Tirolmilch is the first Austrian dairy producer to change parts of their range of goods to GMO-free products. |
Nov. 2003 |
The EU Regulation for the labelling of genetically modified food and feed (1829/2003) creates new framework conditions for labelling and sets limit values for impurities. Some essential areas (i.e. products from animal origin, where the animals were fed with genetically engineered feed or products which have been produced with the help of GMO resp. through fermentation) are still exempted from labelling. |
Aug. 2005 |
NÖM AG converts its entire fresh milk range – more than 2,200 farmers – to GMO-free production and doing so sets in motion a massive wave in the dairy industry: within a couple of months, amongst others Kärntnermilch, Obersteirische Molkerei, Pinzgau Milch, Stainzer Milch, Berglandmilch and Gmundner Milch change to GMO-free production. |
2006 |
Numerous additional product sectors (meat, bread & pastries, processed products) start switching towards GMO-free production. |
2006 |
Initiated by the revision of the EU Organic Regulation as well as by the difficulties arising from comprehensive resp. continuous supply with GMO-free feed, additives, etc., the need for a revision of the Codex Guideline for Freedom from GMO becomes evident. Under the coordination of the Ministry of Health, a working group consisting of all relevant stakeholders addresses the revision. |
June 2007 |
Adoption of the new EU Organic Regulation 2092/91 – with clear specifications for the definition of freedom from GMO for organic products. |
March 2008 |
Amendment of the “Directive for the Definition of ‘GMO-free Production’ of Food and its Labelling” in the Austrian Codex Alimentarius. |
Dec. 2008 |
Adoption of the new “Guideline for Risk-Based Monitoring of Freedom from GMO”, as basis for the accreditation of monitoring bodies by the Ministry of Economy and as important precondition for the harmonization of the inspections. |
Nov. 2009 |
First GMO-free meat on the market: Fleischwaren Berger switches parts of its production to GMO-free feeding. |
March 2010 |
On March 23, the association "Lebensmittel ohne Gentechnik" / “Food Products without GMO” is founded in Germany. With immediate effect, this association awards the German monitoring label “Ohne Gentechnik”. |
June 2010 |
ARGE Gentechnik-frei now also offers a (visually identical) second version of the label – with the wording “Ohne Gentechnik hergestellt”, for a standardized wording within the entire German-speaking region. |
June 2010 |
The entire Austrian dairy industry has switched to GMO-free production. |
Aut. 2010 |
The entire Austrian egg producers have switched their fresh egg production to GMO-free feeding. |
2011 |
In cooperation with partners from all over Europe, ARGE Gentechnik-frei aims towards the harmonization of GMO-free regulations within the EU. Preconditions for a pan-European umbrella organisation for GMO-free initiatives – the platform Euro GMO-free – are developed. |
April 2011 |
Strong trend towards freedom from GMO: Already more than 1,500 food products are labelled “Ohne Gentechnik hergestellt”. |
Aug. 2011 |
GMO-free pork: For the first time GMO-free pork is available on the market – produced bei “Iboschwein”. |
Aut. 2011 |
Leading producers in the segment of egg products (for gastronomy & food production) also switch to “GMO-free”. |
March 2012 |
The majority of Austrian poultry kept for meat production (chicken, turkey) switch to GMO-free feeding. |
April 2012 |
In close cooperation with ARGE Gentechnik-frei, the initiative Donau Soja / ”Danube Soy” comes into existence. The initiatives´ operations have the goal to push and promote the cultivation of soy (GMO-free, “source identified”) in the very suitable Danube region. |
May 2012 |
Fixkraft is the first feed plant to use the label “Ohne Gentechnik hergestellt” on its feed products. |
June 2012 |
The EU Commission initiates a consultation process for a possible harmonization of the national guidelines for GMO-free production (additional to Austria: Germany, France, South Tyrol, Luxemburg). |
Sept. 2012 |
The Danube Soy Congress in Vienna creates large European interest in Soy cultivated in the Danube region. |
Sept. 2012 |
Initiated by ARGE Gentechnik-frei, the platform Euro GMO free is founded to be the European umbrella organisation for all GMO-free initiatives resp. promoting projects. |
Dec. 2012 |
Together with Austria´s Minister of Health Alois Stöger, ARGE Gentechnik-frei presents concrete and realistic guidelines already tested in practice for many years, as benchmark for a pan-European harmonised regulation of the specification for GMO-free labelling. |
Sept. 2013 |
The first 40,000 tons of GMO-free Danube soy come into the European market. From late fall on, for the first time, there are also GMO-free eggs with soy from the Danube region available. |
Aut. 2013 |
First eggs – GMO-free and fed with source identified Danube soy – on the market (at Hofer, REWE, Spar). |
Beg. 2014 |
On the initiative of ARGE Gentechnik-frei the Directive on Risk-Based Control of Freedom from GMO (the essential basis for the accreditation of monitoring bodies, from 2009) is being revised. Scheduled completion: Autumn 2014 |
April 2014 |
ARGE Gentechnik-frei and its German partner organization VLOG (Verband Lebensmittel ohne Gentechnik e.V.) agree to work towards a mutual recognition of the two labeling-systems and their mutual membership. Goal: Autumn 2014 |
April 2016 |
The ARGE Gentechnik-frei and the VLOG e.V. organized together with supporters from politics and from the food and retail chain the first "International GMO-free Labeling Conference" in Vienna, on April 25th, 2016. European GMO-free labelling systems agree on intensified cooperation intended to enhance convergence and comparability of standards. |