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Genetically Modified Organisms

The Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) provides independent scientific advice on food and feed safety, environmental risk assessment and molecular characterisation/plant science. Its work chiefly concerns genetically-modified plants, micro-organisms and animals.

GMO Panel Members are scientists from across Europe with expertise in:

  • Food and feed safety assessment (GM-plants, GM-microorganisms, GM-animals)
    Food and genetic toxicology, immunology, food allergy, human and animal nutrition, dietary exposure, biochemistry and metabolism, food chemistry, compositional analysis statistics and field trial design, animal feeding trials
  • Environmental risk assessment (GM-plants, GM-microorganisms and GM-animals)
    Insect ecology and population dynamics, plant ecology, molecular ecology, ecotoxicology, plant biology, plant pathology, plant physiology, weed science, ecosystem services, soil science (soil organisms, biochemical processes, abiotic processes), plant population genetics, resistance evolution in target pest organisms (entomology, crop protection), geographical zoning and receiving environments, pest science (plant protection), impact of agriculture on biodiversity, vertical gene flow, horizontal gene flow, persistence and invasiveness (weediness), impact on non-target organisms (entomology, ecology), mathematical modelling, statistics and biometry, experimental design (field trial design, laboratory test design), agronomy, cropping systems and agricultural practices
  • Molecular characterisation and plant science
    Genome structure and evolution, gene regulation, genome stability, bioinformatics, plant breeding, molecular biology, plant and microbial physiology, biochemistry and metabolism (plants, microorganisms), proteomics, transcriptomics, genomics, genetic transformation, plant biology, food microbiology, antibiotic resistance, mathematical modelling, horizontal gene transfer, expression analysis, protein analysis, environmental microbiology, genetics, ecology.

Panel Members

GMO Panel Members, 2021-2024

extension of mandate of the 2018-2021 Panel

Panel composition and Declarations of Interests.

Previous Panel Members

2018-2021 

Chair: Naegeli Hanspeter
Vice-chair: Dalmay Tamas; Rostoks Nils
Members: Bresson Jean Louis; Dewhurst Ian Crawford; Epstein Michelle; Firbank Leslie George; Guerche Philippe; Hejatko Jan; Moreno F. Javier; Mullins Ewen; Nogué Fabien; Sanchez Serrano Jose Juan; Savoini Giovanni; Veromann Eve; Veronesi Fabio

2015-2018

Chair: Hanspeter Naegeli
Vice-chair: Josep Casacuberta; Achim Gathmann Member and Vice-Chair until June 2016; Huw Jones Vice-Chair as of July 2016
Members: Andrew Nicholas Birch; Adinda De Schrijver; Mikolaj Antoni Gralak; Philippe Guerche; Barbara Manachini; Antoine Messean; Elsa Ebbesen Nielsen; Fabien Nogué; Christophe Robaglia; Nils Rostoks; Jeremy Sweet; Christoph Tebbe; Francesco Visioli; Jean-Michel Wal

2012-2015

Chair: Joe Perry
Vice-chair: Patrick du Jardin; Gijs Kleter
Members: Salvatore Arpaia; Andrew Nicholas Edmund Birch; Andrew Chesson; Achim Gathmann; Jürgen Gropp; Lieve Herman; Hilde-Gunn Hoen-Sorteberg; Huw Jones; Jozsef Kiss; Pagona Lagiou until November 2012; Martinus Lovik; Antoine Messéan; Hanspeter Naegeli; Kaare M. Nielsen; Jaroslava Ovesna; Nils Rostoks; Christoph Tebbe

2009-2012

Chair: Harry Kuiper
Vice-chair: Sirpa Orvokki Kärenlampi; Joe Perry
Members: Hans Christer Andersson; Salvatore Arpaia; Detlef Bartsch; Josep Casacuberta; Howard Vivian Davies; Gerhard Flachowsky; Patrick du Jardin; Huw Jones; Lieve Herman; Jozsef Kiss; Gijs Kleter; Antoine Messéan; Kaare M. Nielsen; Annette Pöting; Jeremy Sweet; Christoph Tebbe; Atte Von Wright; Jean-Michel Wal

The Declarations of Interests and CVs of previous Panel members are available upon interestmanagement [at] efsa.europa.eu (request).

Meetings with Member States

Meetings with Member States bring together GMO Panel experts and technical experts from Member States to discuss scientific issues and exchange views on various aspects of GMO risk assessment. Depending on the context, these meetings can be bilateral, involving experts from one Member State, or networking meetings, with experts from several Member States.

Below you can view a list of meetings that EFSA GMO Panel had with Member States.

2012

2010

2009

2008

Networks

What are EFSA's networks?

EFSA’s networks consist of nationally appointed EU Member State organisations with expertise in the fields covered by the network. Representatives of the Commission and of other organisations (including those from outside the EU) with specific expertise may also be invited to participate in the work of EFSA Networks.

Networks are chaired by EFSA and supported by relevant EFSA units. Their aim is to facilitate scientific cooperation in the field of EFSA’s mission by:

Risk assessment of GMOs

The objective of this network is to build mutual understanding of the principles underlying the risk assessment of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and to provide increased transparency in the current process between Member States and EFSA.

Working groups

Applications - CompERA 2018-2024

Applications - Food/feed 2018-2024

Applications - Molecular characterisation 2018-2024

Applications – Cross-cutting

Applications – GMA-NGT

Applications – GMM-NGT

Closed working groups

Agronomic and phenotypic characterisation of GM plants

Meetings: minutes last updated:

Allergenicity

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Animal dietary exposure

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Development of guidance on low level presence of GM food and feed

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Development of supplementary guidelines for the allergenicity assessment of GM plants

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Gene drive

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Genetically modified microorganisms

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Guidance document for the risk assessment of the renewal of GM plant products authorised under Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003

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Guidance on environmental risk assessment of GM fishes

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Guidance on environmental risk assessment of GM insects

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Guidance on environmental risk assessment of GM mammals and birds

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Integration/non-integration of a DNA plasmid

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Joint GMO-BIOHAZ working group on Austrian safeguard clause for GM potato EH92-527-1

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Plant Synbio ERA

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Plants developed through cisgenesis and intragenesis

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Risk assessment of plants developed through new techniques

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Standing working group on post-market environmental monitoring (PMEM) reports

SynBio GM Plants Food&Feed Risk Assessment

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Technical Note on Sequencing Quality

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