Perspective on OECD activities from a non-member country

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Perspective on OECD activities from a non-member
country

• Prof. Atanas Atanassov, Agrobioinstitute,
  BULGARIA
• workshop Beyond the Blue Book Framework for
  Risk/ Safety Assessment of Transgenic Plants.
• Jeju Island, Korea, 29 September 2006

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Content

• OECD activities of benefit of non-member
  countries
• OECD activities of benefit of non-member
  countries regional aspects
• Recommendations for future OECD activities
  involving non-member countries

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OECD activities of benefit of non-member countries

• Unique identifier for transgenic plants
• Assisting the CBD in implementing CPB, BCH
• Web-based databases (Biotrack)
• -database of field trials
• -product database
• Consensus documents
• -Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight Task Force
• -Safety of Novel Foods and Feeds

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OECD activities of benefit of non-member
countries regional aspects

• Participation in the work of the OECD task
  forces, fora, meetings as observers
• - OECD global forum on knowledge economy modern
  agricultural biotechnology in non-member
  countries, 18-19 November, 2002

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OECD activities of benefit of non-member
countries regional aspects

• Support and assistance in Black Sea Biotechnology
  Association (BSBA) activities

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BSBA- Goals

• To create within the Black Sea region, a network
  of countries with historically similar
  agricultural needs, priorities and often
  practices, science based regulations that not
  only protect the public health and the regional
  environment, but also stimulate economic
  development, international trade, modern
  agricultural practices, modern food and feed
  production industry, east/west collaborations and
  the advancement of regional varieties.
• To increase the regions contribution to and
  participation in the global debate regarding
  agricultural biotechnology.
• To build a system of mutual acceptance of
  regulatory and safety data for agricultural
  products improved through biotechnology.
• To build regional human and organizational
  (including information sharing) capacity to
  understand and responsibly employ Ag
  biotechnology.

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BSBA activities

• A regional Biotechnology web portal which serves
  in real time mode as the regional Ag-Biotech
  clearing house (http//www.bsbanet.org/)
• Annual Black Sea Region Biotech Forum- a
  platform for regulatory, economic development and
  trade related issues of Ag biotechnology
• Consensus documents on environmental risk
  assessment of GM maize, GM soybean, GM sugar beet
  based on the research and experience with these
  crops in the region.
• a network of laboratories to work on mutually
  (and internationally) accepted and available
  validated detection and monitoring
  methods/procedures with the view to evolve it
  into a network of accredited laboratories.

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Recommendations for future OECD activities
involving non-member countries

• Biotrack databases to include data from non
  member countries regular update of the
  information

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Recommendations for future OECD activities
involving non-member countries

• Consensus documents- non member countries would
  highly encourage OCED to continue the work on the
  species with high socio-economic value for the
  developing countries and countries with economies
  in transition
• Non member countries, Balkan region in particular
  to be better represented at the OECD task forces
  meetings

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Recommendations for future OECD activities
involving non-member countries

• IPRs and technology transfer in the field of
  modern biotechnology require deeper attention
• Currently the multinational biotech companies are
  the holders of the IPRs of the most of the
  transgenes that are commercially introduced
• These transgenes are introduced in few varieties
  or hybrids that are generally not designed to be
  adapted to different climatic conditions (e.g.
  Africa, Asia, the Balkans)
• A growing concern exists that the new GM
  varieties will pose a treat to local
  agrobiodiversity

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Recommendations for future OECD activities
involving non-member countries

• IPRs and technology transfer what can be the
  solution?
• Introducing the genes of the companies to local
  varieties equal sharing the IPRs between
  multinational companies and local research
  centers/breeders
• OECD is in the unique position to play a role of
  mediator between its member countries (biotech
  exporters) and non-member countries (biotech
  importers) in this technology transfer dialogue

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Recommendations for future OECD activities
involving non-member countries

• OECD is in the position to initiate activities
  and play a role in the co-existence debate
• co-existence of conventional, organic and GM
  production systems is both agricultural and
  economic issue
• Co-existence is an issue in many OECD member
  countries (EU)
• Co-existence is a topic of concern for the most
  of non-member countries

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Recommendations for future OECD activities
involving non-member countries

• Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
• On the international arena, we would highly
  encourage OECD to continue its efforts to assist
  CBD Secretariat with regard of BCH and to find
  the appropriate mode to play a key role in the
  WTO CPB debate
• 7th EC FP international cooperation

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• Thank you for your attention!