13.9.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC249/1
ii
(PreparatoryActs)
ECONOMIC ANDSOCIALCOMMITTEE
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDecisionconcerningtheconclusionoftheConvention
onBiologicalDiversity
(93/C249/01)
On3February1993theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle130SoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforProtectionoftheEnvironment ,PublicHealthandConsumerAffairs,which
wasresponsibleforpreparingtheCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon
1June1993.TheRapporteurwasMrColombo.
Atits307thPlenarySession(meetingof30June1993)theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
TheCommitteeendorsestheproposalandcallson
theCommunityandtheMemberStatestoratifythe
Conventionwithintheyear,ifpossibleatthesame
timeastheyratifytheConventiononclimaticchange,
therebyfulfillingthecommitmentmadeattheRio
Conference .1.4.AstheaimoftheConventionistoguarantee
theconservationofbiologicaldiversity,thelastinguse
ofitscomponentsandanequitabledistributionofthe
benefitsderivingfromtheuseofbiologicalandgenetic
resources,itconstitutesastepforwardinNorth-South
relations,identifyinganoverallcommoninteresttobe
jointlypursued,withafairdistributionofburdensand
benefits.
1.Generalcomments
2.Specificcomments
2.1.ItisnottheCommittee'stasktoexpressaview
hereonthecontentoftheConvention,alreadysigned
bytheCommunityandtheMemberStates.Asratifi­
cationproceeds,theCommunitywillneedtoadopta
rangeofspecificmeasurestoassistpracticalimplemen­
tation.TheCommitteereservestherighttomakepro­
posalsandsuggestionsonthesemeasures.
i
2.2.Itis,however,importanttodrawupaprotocol
onproceduresfortheuse—accordingtosafetycri­
teria—ofanymodifiedlivingorganismobtainedby
biotechnology (seeArticle19(3)oftheConvention),for
whichCommunitylegislationongeneticallymodified
organismscanserveasamodel(2).1.1.AsalreadystatedintheOpiniononthepro­
grammefortheenvironmentandsustainabledevelop­
ment,theCommitteetakestheviewthattheECshould
playaleadingroleinworldenvironmental policy(x),
directingitsdevelopmentaidpolicytowardsgreater
protectionfortheenvironment .
1.2.Itthereforeexpressessatisfactionwiththecom­
mitmentsundertakenattheRioConferencethrough
thesigningoftheConventiononBiologicalDiversity.
1.3.ThisConventionmarksanimportantstagein
thedefinitionofanoverallframeworkforactionto
conservebiologicalandgeneticresourcesandinpar­
ticularthevariabilityandplasticityofthoseresources
onaworldscale.
(*)Cf.points9.1and9.2oftheOpinioninOJNoC287,
4.11.1992. (2)OJNoL117,8.5.1990.

NoC249/2 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 13.9.93
2.3.Forthesakeofconsistencywiththetextofthe
Convention,andinparticularwithArticle16(5)which
laysdownthatthecontractingpartiescooperate,sub­
jecttonationallegislationandinternationallaw,in
ordertoensurethatintellectualpropertyrights'are
supportiveofanddonotruncounterto'theConven­
tion'sobjectives,itisproposedthatthesecondpara­
graphofAnnexIIIbeamendedtoreadasfollows:
'FortheEuropeanCommunityanditsMember
States,transfersoftechnologyandaccesstobiotech­
nology...shallbecarriedoutincompliancewith
theprinciplesandrulesofprotectionofintellectualsubordinatesthecommitmentsundertakeninthenego­
tiationsontheConventiontolegislationwhichisstill
comingintobeing,aswellastorelevantbilateraland
multilateralagreements .
2.5.InthisconnectiontheESChopesfortherapid
adoptionofsuchlegislation,notleastsothatitwill
beavailablebeforetheConventioncomesintoeffect;
havingexpresseditsOpinionontheoriginalpro­
posal^)of1989,itispleasedtonotetheinsertionin
theamendedproposalonlegalprotectionofbiotechnol­
ogicalinventions(2)ofanew'whereas'referringto
preservationofgeneticdiversity.property •••
2.4.Thepresentwording'canonlybecarriedoutin
compliance'isinfactarestrictiveinterpretationwhichí1)OJNoC159,26.6.1989.
(2)OJNoC44,16.2.1993,p.36.
DoneatBrussels,30June1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN