Abstract
In the European Union (EU) genetically modified (GM) trees—like all genetically modified organisms (GMO)—are regulated based on the process and product, not on the phenotype alone. The regulatory system includes a risk assessment which is science-based and concentrates on the assessment of risks rather than benefits. Lately consideration of socio-economic (SE) assessments are planned to get a more prominent role in EU decision-making. Several institutions of the EU and the Member States (MSs) are attempting to clarify the role of SE considerations in decision-making on GM plant cultivation. The SE assessment will typically be a multidisciplinary and iterative process to address all relevant costs and benefits with as little bias as possible. There is a high likelihood that there will be divergent views the methods for SE and evaluating costs versus benefits. This could lead to further delays on decisions on GM plant authorisations.
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- 1.
Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 March 2001 on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2001:106:0001:0038:EN:PDF.
- 2.
Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on genetically modified food and feed, http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/animalnutrition/labelling/Reg_1829_2003_en.pdf.
- 3.
For more details see http://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/gmo/authorisation/cultivation_commercialisation_en.htm.
- 4.
- 5.
- 6.
See minutes of first meeting: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/sites/default/files/Minutes_first_ESEB.pdf.
- 7.
Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the 7th meeting, (COP-MOP 7) 29 September–3 October 2014, Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea, see http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=mop-07.
- 8.
- 9.
Based on the new article 26b in Directive2001/18/EC, implemented through Directive (EU) 2015/412 as regards the possibility for the Member States to restrict or prohibit the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in their territory
- 10.
There is little information publically available at http://www.gmo-safety.eu/science/woody-plants/316.seeing-once-studying-thousand-times.html.
- 11.
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Bartsch, D., Gathmann, A., Iakovoglou, V., Sweet, J. (2016). Socio-Economic Considerations for Decision-Making on GM Tree Cultivation. In: Vettori, C., et al. Biosafety of Forest Transgenic Trees. Forestry Sciences, vol 82. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-7531-1_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-7531-1_14
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