Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001

Exemption certificates

25.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the competent authority may, by a certificate in writing, exempt—

(a) any person or class of persons; or

(b) any genetically modified organism or class of genetically modified organisms,

from all or any of the requirements of, or prohibitions imposed by, these Regulations and any such exemption may be granted subject to conditions and to a limit of time and may be revoked by a certificate in writing at any time.

(2) The competent authority shall not grant an exemption unless, having regard to the circumstances of the case and in particular to—

(a) the conditions, if any, that it proposes to attach to the exemption; and

(b) any requirements imposed by or under any enactments which apply to the case,

it is satisfied about the matters referred to in paragraph (3).

(3) The matters about which the competent authority shall be satisfied for the purposes of paragraph (2) are—

(a) that the health and safety of persons who are likely to be affected by the exemption will not be prejudiced in consequence of it; and

(b) that the environment will not be prejudiced in consequence of the exemption where the exemption is concerned with a requirement of, or a prohibition imposed by, these Regulations which relates to an activity involving genetic modification of a micro-organism.