Overview of the current status and regulations by Nap et al., covers the current status of biotech crops based on the latest information released from the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA: www.isaaa.org). The paper also provides a review of regulatory frameworks, legislation and review processes in a number of global regions including: USA, Argentina, Canada, China, European Union, Australia, Japan, and other countries. The paper outlines the types of regulatory information needed for environmental releases and the subsequent review of the data by global regulatory bodies and experts. The paper provides a number of references and web-based databases for additional information on biosafety and field trials of biotech crops.

Nap, Jan-Peter, Metz, Peter L., Escaler, Marga, Conner, Anthony J. 2003. The release of genetically modified crops into the environment. Part 1. Overview of the current status and regulations. The Plant Journal 33: 1-18.

A full copy of the paper is available on line at: www.blackwellpublishing.com/plantgm/Nap.pdf

DR Roger Turner
Chief Executive Officer
British Society of Plant Breeders