Animal Plant Health Agency
Controls on the environmental release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for research purposes are implemented by the competent authorities of the UK. These are in:
- England the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
- Northern Ireland the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)
- Scotland the Scottish Government
- Wales the Welsh Government
Why you must obtain consent to release a GMO for research purposes
In England, consent to release a GMO is issued by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Specific consents are issued with strict conditions for conducting and managing any genetically modified organism release. Its the GM Inspectorates responsibility to ensure that consent holders (the people granted consent to release a GMO) are complying with these conditions by undertaking inspections of GM deliberate release field sites for research trials and commercial consents.
For research trials consents, conditions may be imposed such as:
- the location and size of GM release
- separation distances from other crops
- presence and size of pollen barriers
- control of volunteers and flowering plants
- monitoring requirements
GM Inspectors must verify that the release is compliant with these conditions. If the release is not compliant the consent holder will be contacted and the matter investigated.
For more information on obtaining consent to release a GMO, see GMO: applications and decisions.
Research trial release reports
Reports on field inspection visits are produced and submitted to Defra within 5 working days. The consent holder and Defra have 20 days to comment on the factual details of the report before the reports are placed on the public register and published.