GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS ACT Role of the ADVISORY COMMITTEE in the GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS ACT (Act No. 15 of 1997) April 2003

Advisory Committee Biosafety Structure Section 10 of the GMO Act Appointment by Minister of Agriculture Period not exceeding 5 years Members - recommendation from the Executive Council Remunerated The act makes provision for the appointment of an Advisory Committee, Executive Council, a Registrar and inspectors.

Advisory Committee Max. 10 persons 8- knowledgeable from applicable fields of science 2- from public sector with knowledge of ecological matters and GMO’s Representation from all fields of the expertise involved with GMO’s - appointment of sub-committees (Section 11(2)) Review committee - 4 experts (1 chairperson)

Position of the Advisory Committee Receives documentation from Registrar Send recommendation to Registrar Questions/concerns raised - Registrar to applicant Response from applicant back to Registrar Registrar sends response to Advisory Committee Committee assesses new/additional information and sends final recommendation to Registrar

Functions of the AC Act as national advisory body on GMO activities Advise the Minister, EC, other Ministries and appropriate bodies on matters concerning GMO’s On the introduction, proposals for activities, contained use, importation and exportation of GMO’s On proposed regulations and written guidelines Liaise internationally w.r.t. biosafety Invite written comments from experts

Functions of the AC (continue) Safety assessments: - Health: - Environment: Toxicity Living organisms Pathogenicity Air, soil, water Allergenicity Sustainability Digestibility Biodiversity Nutrition Stability Unexpected products Stability The AC conducts a safety assessment of all proposed activities with GMO’s. This safety assessment includes a health and environmental assessment For the health safety assessment, the AC assesses the toxicity, pathogenicity, allergenicity, digestibility, nutrition, if there are any unexpected products and the stability of the GMO with regard to health issues. Environmentally, the AC assesses the impact of the GMO on living organisms, the air, soil, water, etc. the sustainability of the GMO in the environment, the effect on the biodiversity and the stability in terms of its performance in the environment. Remember: the AC only makes a recommendation to the Executive Council on the safety of the GMO, but the AC does not take the decision on whether the activity is safe to proceed. This is the prerogative of the Executive Council.

Functions of the AC (continue) Recommendation report No decision - only recommendation to Council for their assessment Content: Details of review committee Summary of application Procedures followed during assessment Safety issues assessed Non-safety issues assessed Risk management Recommendation

Conclusion National advisory body on GMO’s No decisions Only recommendations Primarily safety assessments