RSPM No. 27 Guidelines for Importation and Confined Field Release of Transgenic Arthropods in NAPPO Member Countries

This Standard is designed to provide guidance to NAPPO member countries on the importation and confined field release of transgenic arthropods that are known plant pests or have the potential to affect plant health. This includes transgenic arthropods used for biological control and transgenic beneficial arthropods with the potential to affect plant health. Transgenic arthropod species that are not plant pests, but that may pose a phytosanitary risk because of the genetic modification may also be considered under this Standard. Transgenic arthropods that have undergone a previous pest risk analysis by the regulatory authority of the importing country and been determined not to pose a phytosanitary risk may be exempted from importation requirements under this standard. Paratransgenic arthropods, nematodes, and other animals that may pose a risk to plants are specifically excluded from the scope of this Standard, although they may be considered at a later time. Issues relating to the potential adverse impact of transgenic arthropods on human and animal health or on biological diversity and the environment beyond direct and indirect impacts on plant health are not relevant to plant pest issues and fall outside the scope of this NAPPO Standard. Authorization for importation and/or release of transgenic arthropods may also depend on additional analyses performed by other regulatory authorities in the NAPPO member country to evaluate environmental and/or human health impacts. Note that “confined field release” includes not only physical confinement, such as caged releases, but also releases where establishment and spread of the transgenic arthropods is restricted by biological, temporal, or geographic mechanisms. Guidance for unconfined release of transgenic arthropods into the environment is not provided in this Standard. It is anticipated that this issue will be addressed as the NAPPO member countries gain additional experience in regulating transgenic arthropods.

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