§ Lord Hardy of Wathasked Her Majesty's Government:
Which species of British wildlife appear likely to be seriously affected by the commercial production of genetically modified crops if there are no regulations to prevent or significantly control such developments. [HL1193]
§ Lord WhittyThe release and marketing of all genetically modified organisms (GMOs), including crops, is subject to strict regulation in Great Britain. The Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1992, as amended in 1995 and 1997, implement Directive 90/220/EEC on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms, which was adopted by member states in 1990.
Essentially, all releases and marketing of GMOs are prohibited in the EU unless granted prior explicit consent. Consent could be granted only after a rigorous assessment of an application which includes information on the GMO and its likely impact on the environment. Consent will be given only if the evidence suggests that the proposed release of the GMO is unlikely to result in adverse effects on human health and the environment, including wildlife species.
However, the use of GM crops could also result in changes to agricultural practice which may have indirect implications for wildlife. In order to ensure that our regulatory regime is fully capable of identifying any potential impacts on wildlife, the remit of the Advisory 39WA Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) has been expanded to consider wider biodiversity issues, and a sub-group of ACRE has been set up to examine these in more detail. With these regulations in force, British wildlife species should be protected against effects from the commercial use of genetically modified crops.