(Last revised: 5 May, 2010 )
(Further information: bbch@wiv-isp.be)

According to article 19 of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, each Party shall designate one or more competent national authorities, which shall be responsible for performing the administrative functions required by this Protocol and which shall be authorized to act on its behalf with respect to those functions.
In Belgium, different authorities have responsibilities in the field of living modified organisms (genetically modified organisms), depending on the intended use of the organisms.

LMOs destined for contained use

LMOs destined for intentional introduction into the environment

LMOs intended for direct use as food or feed, or for processing (LMO-FFPs)

LMOs in transit

One additional national competent authority has been designated according to the European Regulation (EC) No 1946/2003 of 15 July 2003 on transboundary movements of genetically modified organisms. This Regulation has been adopted to implement some of the requirements of the Protocol, in particular regarding exports of GMOs to third countries.

Export of LMOs from Belgium outside the European Community territory