UK Focal Point on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing

Introduction | Legal Summary | Access To Resources | Related Links

Legal Summary

Dangerous organisms

Access to dangerous micro-organisms is restricted by legislation on controlled technologies and requirements for export/import licenses. General information on the laws and institutional practises in the United Kingdom can be found on the website of the UK National Culture Collection http://www.ukncc.co.uk/html/Databases/Control%20Distibution.htm

Other useful links are the following:

• EC Directive 2000/54 on the protection of workers from risks related to exposure to biological agents at work -  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32000L0054:EN:HTML
• Council Decision on the Joint Action concerning the control of exports of dual-use goods - http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32000D0243:EN:HTML
• Reports of the Committee on Postal, Quarantine and Safety Regulations of the World Federation of Culture Collections - http://wdcm.nig.ac.jp/wfcc/wfccreports.pdf
• International Regulations on Shipping of infectious, non-infectious and genetically modified biological materials - http://www.gbf.de/dsmz/shipping/shipping.htm
• Handling and distribution of micro-organisms and the law to disseminate information on our legal responsibilities while collecting and distributing micro-organisms (Smith, D. Rohde, C. & Holmes, B. (1999). Microbiology Today 26, 14-16). A fuller version of this paper is available on the web site of the Society for General Microbiology, which will be periodically updated, http://www.socgenmicrobiol.org.uk