General Information

Responsibilities

Administrative functions

• Capacity-Building
• Competent National Authorities and National Focal Points
• Confidential Information
• Contained use
• Handling, transport, packaging and identification
• Human and/or Animal Health
• Illegal transboundary movements
• Information Sharing
• Intentional introduction into the environment (AIA)
• Liability and redress
• LMOs for direct use as feed
• LMOs for direct use as food
• LMOs for processing
• Public awareness and participation
• Risk assessment and management
• Simplified Procedure
• Socio-economic considerations
• Transboundary movement (import/export)
• Transit
• Unintentional transboundary movements and emergency measures

Detailed description of the regulatory functions

The National Competent Authority will perform the following regulatory functions:

1. Monitor the implementation of Biosafety policies, guidelines, acts and rules on behalf of the NCB.
2. Provide a technical review of any application for lab research, contained trial, confined trial, field trial, open field trial, field release, introduction, use, and import and forward recommendations to the NCB for its consideration.
3. Provide technical comments or recommendations to NCB or the government on policy, legal and technical issues of Biosafety as and when requested for.
4. Review all existing bilateral and multilateral projects, and all research that are now being undertaken among universities, research institutes and private organizations.
5. Inspect and certify all laboratories and facilities engaged in GMO research.
6. Coordinate biosafety aspects in public - private sector partnership to ensure safety level in all biotechnological work being carried out under such partnership.
7. Approve application for field trials that are renewals or repeat applications from trials previously approved by the NCB.
8. BCC shall take decision safety of the food derived from GE crops. BCC may invite relevant expert members to take decision on this issue.
9. BCC will meet, at least on a quarterly basis, and may meet additionally as called upon by the Member Secretary or requested by the NCB.
10. Coordinate the activities of institutional and field level Biosafety committees (move to BCC).
11. BCC shall arrange inspection and evaluation of performance of all laboratories engaged in research, development and demonstration of GMOs as and when needed.
12. BCC may co-opt experts related to specific issues regarding Biosafety as and when required.

BCC will meet, at least on a quarterly basis, and may meet additionally to consider urgent matters.