UK Focal Point on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing

Legal Summary

Introduction

Unlike certain other countries, the UK has not introduced specific legislation in response to the CBD to regulate access to genetic resources. Rather, the rules governing access to genetic resources are found in other areas of UK law, particularly those relating to property, trespass, statutory protection of species and site protection. Other areas of law, such as health and safety legislation, law concerning the handling of dangerous organisms and intellectual property rights are also relevant.

• Access (trespass)
• Commons
• Dangerous organisms
• Health and Safety legislation
• IPRs
• Land Register
• National Parks
• Property
• Protected species and sites
• Jurisdiction
• Devolution
• Crown Dependencies
• Overseas Territories
• Legal and Non-Legal Links to other sites.

The entire Legal Summary is also available as ether a PDF or Plain Text document