G/SPS/N/GBR/32  
2 May  2023 
(23-3077) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED KINGDOM  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; the Food 
Standards Agency  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Precision bred animals and plants, and food and feed produced from 
precision bred animals and plants  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill . 
Language(s):  English . Number  of pages:   
https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3167/publications  
6. Description of content:  The primary objective of the Bill is to establish a framework for a 
new, proportionate, regulatory regime for plants and animals that are produced using 
modern biotechnologies which could have resulted from traditional breeding or natural 
processes ('precision bred plants and animals'), and the food and feed products produced 
from these.  
These provisions will only take practical effect once regulations are made under the 
delegated powers in the Bill setting out the detail of the new regulatory regime. 
Further  notifications will be made prior to these measures coming into effect.  
The territorial extent of the Bill is England only, however as a result of the operation of 
existing UK legislation (the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020) which are produced 
in or imported into England are able to be marketed in Scotland and Wales,  with specific 
arrangements applying for Northern Ireland.  
The key purposes of this new primary legislation are to:  
1. Enable regulations to establish a framework for a new science -based authorisation 
process for food and feed products produced from precision  bred plants and animals ; 
2. Remove precision bred plants and animals produced through precision breeding 
technologies from the existing regulatory requirements applicable to release into the 
environment and marketing of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms);  this will be 
phased, first plants, followed by animals at a later date ; 
3. Introduce two new notification systems for product developers to inform Defra of the 
release of precision bred plants and animals for both research and marketing purposes 
in England. The information collected will be published on a public register on GOV.UK ; 
4. Establish a framework for a proportionate regulatory system for precision bred 
vertebrate animals, to ensure animal health and welfare is safeguarded. We will not be 
introducing ch anges to the regulations for precision bred animals until this system is in 
place.  G/SPS/N/GBR/32  
 
- 2 - 
 
  7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [X]  animal health, [X]  plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:   
• A guidance document on the market authorisation procedure for animal welfare is 
available her e: AnnexAAnimalsPolicyUpdateOctober22.pdf (parliament.uk)  
• A guidance document on the Pre -market authorisation process for  
precision bred food and feed is available here:  
FSAPremarketAuthorisationFactSheet20102022.pdf (parliament.uk)  
• The Government response to the publi c consultation is available here:  
Genetic technologies regulation: government response - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 23 March 2023  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 24 March 2023  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : 23 March 2023  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 1 July 2023 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
UK SPS Contact Point, Defra, Nobel House, London SW1P 3JR  
E-mail:UKSP S@defra.gov.uk  
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
UK SPS Contact Point, Defra, Nobel House, London SW1P 3JR  
E-mail:UKSPS@defra.gov.uk