Regulating the Deliberate Release of Genetically Modified Organism (GMOs)
TABLE B
"PART C" APPLICATIONS MADE IN THE UK - MAIN STAGES
Stage 1: application
- Applicant makes application and Scottish Ministers inform applicant of date of receipt.
Stage 2: initial consultation
- Scottish Ministers arrange for a summary of application to be sent to thr other Member States and European Commission.
- Within 12 days of receipt of application, information about application is placed on UK register.
- Commission makes summary public and invites comments within 30 days, and sends any comments to Scottish Ministers and other Member States.
Stage 3: initial assessment and decision
- Not more than 90 days from receipt of application, Scottish Ministers send assessment report to applicant indicating whether the GMOs should or should not be marketed, taking account of advice from ACRE. If the assessment is negative, Ministers will reject the application
- The 90-day period does not include any period whilst Scottish Ministers are awaiting further information from the applicant. Any further relevant information is placed on the UK register.
Stage 4: further consultation
- Scottish Ministers send assessment report to Commission either (a) if it is favourable, no more 90 days from receipt of application or (b) if it is unfavourable, no sooner than 15 days from the date the report is sent to the applicant, and no later than 105 days from receipt of application.
- No later than when the assessment report is sent to applicant, Scottish Ministers send application to Commission, which sends report and application to other Member State within 30 days.
- Commission circulates any comments or reasoned objections within 60 days.
- Commission makes assessment reports recommending that consent be granted available to the public and invites comments within 30 days, and sends any comments to Scottish Ministers and the competent authorities of the other Member States.
- If consultation raises no outstanding issues, Scottish Ministers issue final decision in favour of application as at Stage 6.
Stage 5: resolution of any outstanding issues with other Member States
This procedure is common to a number of issues under the Directive and is described in detail at Table C later in this paper.
Stage 6: final decision
- Scottish Ministers inform applicant of decision for or against consent.
- If decision is to grant consent, Scottish Ministers inform other Member States and the Commission within 30 days.
Stage 7: information about decision
- Within 12 days of end of Stage 6, Scottish Ministers put on public register advice of ACRE on the application and a copy of any consent granted.
- Commission also makes similar information available to the public.