Access to information regarding GMOs in Norway

Transcription

1 Access to information regarding GMOs in Norway Geneva, Switzerland, October 16, 2013 Casper Linnestad

2 In Norway GMOs are regulated by the Gene Technology Act (1993): 1 Purpose of the Act The purpose of this Act is to ensure that the production and use of genetically modified organisms and the production of cloned animals take place in an ethically justifiable and socially acceptable manner, in accordance with the principle of sustainable development and without adverse effects on health and the environment. 2 Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, Sted, tid og avsender

3 Deliberate release of GMOs in Norway: Always public consultation Gene Technology Act 13 on Public consultation: - A public consultation is to be announced and held before a decision is made. - To be carried out in a way that ensures that the general public and interest groups are given access to relevant information 3 Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, Sted, tid og avsender

4 Gene Technology Act 12 on public access to GMO information: The following information shall always be public: GMO description Name and address of applicant/user Purpose/use Location Methods for monitoring Emergency responses 4 Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, Sted, tid og avsender

5 Information flow and public participation in Norway The Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management administer public hearings and make available information on its website/through Biosafety Clearing House. The Directorate actively regularly invites around 50 organisations, advisory bodies and interest groups to participate and submit comments. Norway has implemented directive 2001/18 and assess/comment on GMO applications as they are processed in the EU. National decisions are announced/published through Official Governmental Gazette, websites, newspapers. 5 Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, Sted, tid og avsender

6 Norway has implemented the Aarhus convention: Environmental Information Act (2004) Citizens have a legal right to obtain environmental information, both from public authorities and private enterprises. Citizens have the right to demand environmental information on everything from production processes to the content of the products that are used and sold. Private enterprises have an obligation to hold information about factors relating to their operations that may have an appreciable effect on the environment and to supply such information to citizens on request. But for GMOs: No clear balance has been established between an acceptable level of cbi and the legal right of citizens to gain access to relevant information 6 Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, Sted, tid og avsender

7 Input mainly from. Norwegian Biotechnology Advisory Board 21 members representing different fields of expertise and organizations/interest groups Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety National Veterinary Institute GenØk Center for Biosafety Marine Research Institute Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research 7 Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, Sted, tid og avsender

8 Limited public participation? Typically, only 6-8 submissions per dossier are received. however, society at large is represented by the Norwegian Biotechnology Advisory Board 8 Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, Sted, tid og avsender

9 Conclusion and challenges Norway has a well established system for information flow and public participation Relevant information is shared and published Conferences/workshops are held on a regular basis Issues are debated by the media Biosafety is a complex issue and only a handful of people have access to entire dossiers problematic? The major problem for us at the moment is the limited information available on socio-economics, sustainable development and ethics regarding GMOs in the dossiers. 9 Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, Sted, tid og avsender

10 Thank you for your attention! 10 Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, Sted, tid og avsender