Onderhandelingen starten over toegang tot genetische bronnen (en)

The Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER I) gave the Lithuanian EU Council Presidency a mandate to enter negotiations with the European Parliament and European Commission on the Proposal for a Regulation on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization in the Union, with a view to a first reading agreement.

"We believe that the proposed Regulation will effectively contribute to the proper implementation of the Nagoya Protocol in the EU. This will also allow for the EU to participate on the global level in full value. Lithuania will aim the ABS Regulation to be adopted at the first reading,” said ambassador Arūnas Vinčiūnas, chair of COREPER I Committee.

The Presidency presented to the Committee the compromise texts which has received a wide support from delegations and will be the basis of the first informal trilogue with the European Parliament, scheduled for 16 October.

Background

The Commission submitted the above-mentioned proposal on 25 October 2012. The proposal aims to implement the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization in the EU and enable EU ratification. 23 Member States and the EU have already signed the Nagoya Protocol. The proposal aims to deliver on "Aichi Target 16" of the Strategic Plan 2011-2020 of the Convention on Biological Diversity which foresees that by 2015 the Nagoya Protocol is in force and operational, consistent with national legislation.

The Council held an orientation debate at its meeting on 21 March 2013.

The European Parliament (EP), in its Plenary session on 12 September, 2013 voted on amendments to the Commission's proposal.

In the Council the work on this legislative proposal was started by Cypriot Presidency and continued by the Irish and Lithuanian Presidencies.