Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Used) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

1999 No. 14

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Used) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999

Made

14th January 1999

Coming into operation

1st March 1999

The Department of Economic Development, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Environment, being Departments designated(1) for the purposes of section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972(2) in relation to the control and regulation of genetically modified organisms, acting jointly in the exercise of the powers conferred on them by the said section 2(2), the Department of Economic Development, being the Department concerned(3), in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 17(1) of the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978(4) and those Departments, in exercise of every other power enabling them in that behalf, after consultation with the Health and Safety Agency for Northern Ireland and such other bodies as appeared to them to be appropriate, hereby make the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 and shall come into operation on 1st March 1999.

(2) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(5) shall apply to these Regulations as it applied to a Measure of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Amendment of regulation 6 of the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1994

2.  In regulation 6 of the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1994(6), after paragraph 2(a)(ii) there shall be inserted the following–

“(iii) a novel food or novel food ingredient marketed in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EC) No. 258/97 of the European Parliament and the Council(7); or”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Economic Development on

L.S.

R.G.F. Fry

Assistant Secretary

12th January 1999.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland on

L.S.

R.W. Rogers

Assistant Secretary

14th January 1999.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland on

L.S.

R.S. Johnston

Assistant Secretary

13th January 1999.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations amend the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1994 (“the Contained Use Regulations”) to take account of Regulation (EC) No. 258/97 (O.J. No. L43, 14.2.97, p. 1) (“the EC Regulation”) concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients, by excluding such foods and ingredients marketed in accordance with the EC Regulation from the requirement for certain work with genetically modified micro-organisms to be undertaken in conditions of contained use. The Regulations also amend the Contained Use Regulations, insofar as they relate to genetically modified organisms which are not genetically modified micro-organisms, to exclude such foods and ingredients from that requirement.

In Great Britain the corresponding Regulations are the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) (Amendment) Regulations 1998 (S.I. 1998/1548). The Health and Safety Executive has prepared a cost benefit assessment in relation to those Regulations and a copy of that assessment, together with a Northern Ireland Supplement prepared by the Department of Economic Development, is held at that Department’s offices at 83 Ladas Drive, Belfast BT6 9FJ, from where copies may be obtained.

(1)

S.I. 1991/755

(2)

1972 c. 68; the enabling powers conferred by section 2(2) were extended by virtue of section 1 of the European Economic Area Act 1993 (c. 51)

(3)

See Article 2(2) of S.I. 1978/1039 (N.I. 9)

(4)

S.I. 1978/1039 (N.I. 9)

(5)

1954 c. 33 (N.I.)

(6)

S.R. 1994 No. 143; regulation 6 was amended by S.R. 1996 No. 250, regulation 3 and Schedule 1

(7)

O.J. No. L43, 14.2.97, p.1