Record of GMOs and GM Product Dealings
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What is the GMO Record?
The term GMO Record is an abbreviation for 'Record of GMO and GM Product Dealings' required by Part 9, Division 6 of the Gene Technology Act 2000 (the Act).The GMO Record contains information on all GMO dealings approved by, or notified to, the Gene Technology Regulator (the Regulator) or specified in an Emergency Dealing Determination. It also contains information on all GM product approvals notified to the Regulator by other regulatory authorities.
The purpose of the GMO Record is to provide the Australian public with ready access to information about GMOs and GM product dealings in Australia.
Australia is, we understand, the only country in the world to make such a comprehensive Record available to the general community. This Record is a substantive demonstration of the openness and transparency which underpins the regulatory system for GMOs that has been operating in Australia since 21 June 2001.
What are dealings with a GMO?
The term 'dealings', in relation to a genetically modified organism (GMO) is defined in the Gene Technology Act 2000 (the Act).- deal with, in relation to a GMO, means the following:
- conduct experiments with the GMO;
- make, develop, produce or manufacture the GMO;
- breed the GMO;
- propagate the GMO;
- use the GMO in the course of manufacture of a thing that is not the GMO;
- grow, raise or culture the GMO;
- import the GMO;
- transport the GMO;
- dispose of the GMO;
a dealing mentioned in any of the paragraphs (a) to (i). Top of page
| Exempt (NOTE: these dealings are not listed on the GMO Record) | What are exempt dealings? |
| Notifiable Low Risk Dealings (NLRD) | What are Notifiable Low Risk Dealings (NLRD)? |
| Licensed | What is a GMO licence? What are Dealings Not involving an Intentional Release (DNIR) of a GMO into the environment? What are Dealings involving an Intentional Release (DIR) of a GMO into the environment? What are Inadvertent Dealings? |
| GMO Register | What are dealings with GMOs included on the GMO Register? |
| Emergency Dealing Determinations | What are Emergency Dealing Determinations? |
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What GMO and GM product dealings are listed on the Record?
The GMO Record contains information about:- All licences granted by the Regulator. This includes information about GMO licences for;
- Dealings with GMOs included on the GMO Register
- GMO dealings authorised by an Emergency Dealing Determination made by the responsible Australian Government Minister
- GM products approved or registered by: the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (for agricultural and veterinary chemicals derived from GMOs); the Therapeutic Goods Administration (for therapeutics derived from GMOs); the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (for industrial chemicals derived from GMOs); and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (for GM foods). Although these GM products are approved by regulatory authorities other than the Gene Technology Regulator, the inclusion of GM products on the GMO Record ensures that the Australian community can easily access a comprehensive Record of all GMOs and GM products. Further information about the GM products referenced in the GMO Record can be obtained by approaching the relevant product regulator directly.
Confidential Commercial Information
The term 'Confidential Commercial Information' (CCI) may occur in the GMO Record or documents related to it. This is because section 184 of the Gene Technology Act 2000 (the Act) provides that a person may apply to the Gene Technology Regulator (the Regulator) for a declaration that specified information is CCI for the purposes of the Act.Information declared as CCI by the Regulator under section 185 of the Act must not be released to the public. If an application for CCI is made, the specified information must be treated as CCI until a decision is made on the application.
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