Library - International Organisations

International Organisations

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is a unique forum where the governments of 30 market democracies work together to address the economic, social and governance challenges of globalisation as well as to exploit its opportunities.

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Biotechnology is having an increasingly important impact on a number of sectors and disciplines. OECD has been working on biotechnology-related topics for almost 20 years. These include scientific, industrial, health and agricultural applications. It also has a strong record on safeety issues in biotechnology.

CONSENSUS DOCUMENTS FOR THE WORK ON HARMONISATION OF REGULATORY OVERSIGHT IN BIOTECHNOLOGY

These consensus documents comprise technical information for use during the regulatory assessment of products of biotechnology and are intended to be mutually recognised among OECD Member countries. They focus on the biology of organisms (such as plants, trees or micro-organisms) or introduced novel traits. Currently includes:

Bread Weath (1999)	Eastern White Pine (2002)	European White Birch (2003)	Maize/Corn (2003)	Norway Spruce (1999)
Oilseed Rape (1997)	Oyster mushroom (2005)	Papaya (2005)	Poplars (2001)	Potato (1997)
Rice (1999)	Sitka Spruce (2002)	Soybean (2001)	Stone fruit (2002)	Sugar Beet (2001)
Sunflower (2005)	White Spruce (1999)

Additionally:

Abstracts of teh OECD Workshop On
The Biology of Atlantic Salmon
(Salmo Salar), 2006

An Introduction to Biosafety Consensus
Documents of OECD's Working Group
for Harmonisation in Biotechnology
(2005

Module II: Herbicide Biochemistry,
Herbicide Metabolism and the Residues
in Glufosinate-Ammonium
(Phosphinothricin)-Tolerant Transgenic
Plants (2002)

Information Used in the Assessment of
Environmental Applications Involving
Baculoviruses (2002)

General Information Concerning the
Genes and Their Enzymes that Confer
Tolerance to Phophinothricin
Herbicides (1999)

General Infomation Concerning the
Genes and Their Enzymes that Confer
Tolerance to Glyphosate Herbicides
(1999)

OECD Guidance for the Designation of
a Unique Identifier for Transgenic
Plants (2004)

General Information concerning the
Biosafety of Crop Plants Made Virus
Resistant through Coat Protein Gene-
Mediated Protection (1996)

CONSENSUS DOCUMENTS FOR THE WORK ON THE SAFETY OF NOVEL FOODS AND FEEDS

The OECD's Task Force for the Safety of Novel Foods and Feeds decided at its first session, in 1999, to focus its work on the development of science-based consensus documents, which are mutually acceptable among member countries. These consensus documents contain information for use during the regulatory assessment of a particular food/feed product. In the area of food and feed safety, consensus documents are being published on the nutrients, anti-nutrients or toxicants, information of the product's use as a food/feed and other relevant information. Currently includes:

Alfalfa (2005)	Barley (2004)	Bread Wheat (2003)	Canola (2001)	Cotton (2004)
Maize/Corn (2002)	Potato (2002)	Rice (2004)	Soybean (2001)	Sugar Beet (2002)

Additionally:

Considerations for the Safety
Assessment of Animal Feedstuffs
derived from Genetically Modified
Plants (2003)

Report of the OECD Workshop on
Nutritional Assessment of Novel Foods
and Feeds (2002)

Report of the Task Force for the Safety
of Novel Food and Feeds (2000)

USEFUL TOOLS

Biotechnology Statistcs in OECD Member Countries: On-line Inventory aims to provide an accurate assessment of the current state of biotechnology in OECD member and observer countries. It has been compiled on the basis of information provided by officials in the respective countries (and Eurostat).

Biotech product database includes information regarding products derived using modern biotechnology, e.g. transgenic plants. which have been approved for commercial applications, as well as some plants with novel traits produced by conventional breeding and mutagenesis.

BioTrack Database of Field Trials includes records of field trials of genetically modified organisms which have taken place in OECD Member Countries. It also includes data from other Countries which has been provided through UNIDO's BINAS.

OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS