Monitoring

EU Directive 2001/18/EC demands to monitor, during the cultivation of GMP, the effects that GMO have on the environment and on human beings. This directive was converted into German law by the GenTG.

This monitoring system is designed as an early warning system for unexpected effects resulting from the cultivation of GMP, and shall provide explanations for uncertainties in the risk assessment which may not have been definitely judged by experiments being limited in time and space. Possible negative effects have to be recorded which may occur either directly or indirectly, e.g., by interactions of the GMP with beneficial insects or pests on the cultivation area or on neighbouring fields and biotopes. These general objectives have to be integrated into a monitoring concept specific for a certain crop plant with one or several transgenes. In addition to the development of new investigation methods, established organisational structures can be considered in a GMO monitoring scheme. The aim is to establish efficient and practicable structures for a routine monitoring as elements of the GMO risk management.

Design of strategies

- Co-ordinated research

Since 2001, the JKI has participated in, and co-ordinated various research teams who developed methods and strategies for a GMO monitoring. Along with the elaboration of investigation methods and the recording of potential data sources for environmental effects from GMO, existing structures for an agricultural risk management were analysed.

- Meetings

The JKI strives for handling the complex subject of GMO monitoring in international symposia, taking into account most recent developments. A series of international workshops organised by SG especially focuses on the question of how unexpected and long-term GMO effects can be recorded methodologically and integrated into decision processes.

Co-ordination

The working group ‘Monitoring accompanying the cultivation of GMP in the agro-ecosystem’ was founded in April 1999, then under the leadership of the Federal Biological Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (BBA), now JKI. The members of this group come from various JKI institutes, from the Plant Protection Services, from BVL and BfN, from the Federal Plant Variety Office (BSA), from the Variety Control and Variety Information Services of the federal states, from the German Plant Breeders’ Association (BDP), from the Association of German Agricultural Analysis and Research Institutions (VDLUFA), from the Institute for Beet Research (IfZ), from university research groups and from groups from public research institutions. A representative from the BMELV joins the meetings.
The objective of the working group is to design a realisable concept for recording the effects of GMP on the agro-ecosystem within a monitoring during the cultivation process. A very special methodological challenge is the recording of long-term, indirect changes caused by GMP. The working group offers to the various actors a forum to inform about and discuss developments, chances, and necessities for the realisation of the GMO monitoring. The working group gets together about once a year.