93/584/EEC: Commission Decision of 22 October 1993 establishing the criteria for simplified procedures concerning the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified plants pursuant to Article 6 (5) of Council Directive 90/220/EEC

COMMISSION DECISION of 22 October 1993 establishing the criteria for simplified procedures concerning the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified plants pursuant to Article 6 (5) of Council Directive 90/220/EEC
(93/584/EEC)THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 90/220/EEC of 23 April 1990 on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms (1), and in particular Article 6 (5) thereof,
Whereas, where a competent authority considers that sufficient experience has been obtained of releases of certain genetically modified organisms (GMOs), it may submit to the Commission a request for the application of simplified procedures for the  release for such types of GMOs, and whereas the Commission is required to establish criteria based on safety to human health and the environment and on the exidence available on such safety, to enable the Commission to decide whether a specific  simplified procedure should be approved;
Whereas there is now accumulated knowledge and data available concerning the necessary prerequisites for safety to human health and the environment for the release of certain types of GMOs;
Whereas it is considered appropriate that given the different safety concerns for different types of organsims, separate criteria should be established for plants, animals and micro-organisms and that accordingly, the criteria established by this  Decision are applicable only in relation to genetically modified plants, which is the group of GMOs with which most of the experience has been acquired to date;
Whereas evidence from releases of genetically modified plants has indicated that the safety of releases of such plants depends on the characteristics of the recipient plant species, on the characteristics of the inserted sequences and their products,  and on the receiving ecosystems, and whereas the criteria to be established should be aimed specifically at the evaluation of these characteristics;
Whereas these criteria form an objective and harmonized basis for decisions on the requests for application of simplified procedures;
Whereas is is appropriate, in the interest of transparency, to establish a uniform procedure for the making of a request for simplified procedures;
Whereas, such a request should be based on experience with the GMOs under consideration and on the evidence of safety for human health and the environment and whereas, to these ends, it is appropriate that this experience may include the competent  authority's own experience with releases of the same GMOs and the experience in similar ecosystems whether within the Community or internationally, of the GMOs under consideration;
Whereas it is important, in the interests of the greatest possible applicability of uniform procedures, compatible with considerations of safety to human health and the environment, that all Member States should have the opportunity to join in any  request for the application of simplified procedures and whereas to this effect an appropriate procedure should be established;
Whereas this Decision is in accordance with the opinion of the Committee established under Article 21 of Directive 90/220/EEC,