Biosafety Regulations in the United Kingdom and The European Union

Regulations governing the production and use of genetically modified organisms have been developed in the United Kingdom since 1976. Regulations covering the release of transgenic organisms into the environment were initially voluntary. Since 1990, the European Economic Commission (EEC) Directive 90/219 and 90/220 (appears more frequently in the text) have been in operation for all European Union countries, and there are continuing efforts to harmonise standards of biosafety among the 15 members. Several genetically modified plant varieties have been approved, or are being considered for commercial use.