Parma, Italy
July 5, 2007
Assessing the environmental
impact of genetically modified plants
EFSA Scientific Colloquium
20-21 June, 2007
Tabiano, Parma, Italy
On 20 and 21
June, the European Food
Safety Authority (EFSA) held a two day Scientific
Colloquium in Parma on the Environmental Risk Assessment of
Genetically Modified (GM) plants. Leading scientists from
both EU and non-EU countries discussed approaches to
environmental risk assessment in the light of current
scientific thinking, focusing on issues such as
environmental fitness , effects on non-target organisms,
long-term and large scale environmental effects, broader
environmental considerations and the assessment of risk
versus environmental benefit.
On 20 and 21 June, EFSA held a two
day Scientific Colloquium in Parma on the Environmental Risk
Assessment of Genetically Modified (GM) plants. Leading
scientists from both EU and non-EU countries discussed
approaches to environmental risk assessment in the light of
current scientific thinking, focusing on issues such as
environmental fitness[1], effects on non-target organisms,
long-term and large scale environmental effects, broader
environmental considerations and the assessment of risk versus
environmental benefit. The Colloquium is part of a standing
commitment by EFSA to monitor progress in science in order to
further develop scientific approaches in risk assessment of
GMOs. EFSA will publish the outcome of the colloquium in a
summary report.
The EFSA GMO Panel evaluates risk assessments carried out by
applicants requesting market approval for genetically modified
organisms in the European Union. EFSA has provided guidance[2]
on environmental risk assessment of GMOs for these applicants so
that the potential effects that GMOs might have on human or
animal health and the environment may be assessed. This Guidance
is a living document and the aim of this Colloquium was to
conduct a scientific review of the current environmental risk
assessment guidance, focussing on non-target organism testing,
upscaling and modelling, long-term effects and broadening the
scope to include environmental risk-benefit assessment.
Participants agreed on the current case-by-case approach to
environmental risk assessment, as outlined in EFSA’s guidance,
and that EFSA’s risk assessment work was at the forefront of
developments in this area. Experts at the colloquium agreed
that more specific guidance may be needed for the assessment of
the potential impact on non-target organisms in terms of design
and statistical power of testing[3]. They agreed that modelling
may be a useful tool to predict potential effects that GM plants
might have over time and when cultivated on a larger scale in
Europe.
Participants to the colloquium came from 19 EU Member States,
Australia, Brazil, Croatia, Iran, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey
and USA. Amongst the participants were leading scientists from
public research institutes, members from national advisory
bodies on environmental risk assessment of GMOs, private sector
experts, representatives from the European Commission, EFSA GMO
Panel members and EFSA staff. For further background
information, please see the programme and briefing notes of the
colloquium at
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/science/colloquium_series/Colloquium_8_gmo.html.
According to Dr. Herman Koëter, EFSA’s Deputy Executive Director
and Director of Science, who opened the colloquium: “Today we
were able to discuss some of the latest developments from Europe
and around the world in GMO environmental risk assessment
methodology and practice. The information shared and
discussions with leading experts in this field will allow EFSA
to stay at the forefront of GMO environmental risk assessment
which is an important part to EFSA’s GMO assessment work”.
As risk assessment is an evolving science, EFSA welcomed
participants’ contributions during the colloquium which will now
serve as input into the on-going work of the GMO Panel in this
area. A summary report with the outcome of the colloquium will
be published on EFSA’s website.
[1] Ability of a plant to reproduce and invade environments.
[2]
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/science/gmo/gmo_guidance.html
[3] The level of confidence that can be attained from the
statistical tests in relation to ERA. |
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