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”.

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.