On August 7, 2015, the European Parliament ("EP") voted on the proposal of two European Commission ("EC") directives aimed to (i) provisionally ban the cloning of farm animals, which include cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and horses in the EU, (ii) provisionally ban imports of animal clones and the sale within the EU of food derived from them, and (iii) review the applicable legislation in light of the EU countries' implementation experience and on the basis of scientific reviews that may emerge in cloning improvements. The EP supported the proposed ban and added new provisions to also prohibit the marketing of cloned animals' offspring coming from countries outside the EU.
In the EU, food from clones needs premarket approval based on a scientific food safety assessment by the European Food Safety Authority ("EFSA") before it can be put on the market. The proposals come as a result of not only the ethical concerns relating to cloning but also scientific evidence that has emerged indicating that some animals may suffer from poor health due to cloning and may have higher mortality rates. The proposal could enter into force in 2016.
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