International conference in Norway
hosted by
The Norwegian Biotechnology Advisory Board,
Det Norske Veritas,
The Directorate for Nature Management

Assessing the risk from transgenic plants:
The next step forward

3-4 February 2003
Høvik (Oslo)

Objective:

To stimulate a discussion on the potential and limitations of methods for assessing risks from genetically modified plants.

Target group:

Industry representatives, NGO representatives, Policy Decision-makers, Regulators, and Scientists involved in biotechnology and risk management.

Location:

DNV, Høvik (15 minutes from Oslo by car)

Registration fee:

NOK 2500,-. Invoice will be sent upon registration.

Deadline for registration:

27 January 2003

Sponsored participation:

A limited number of delegates may be sponsored by the organising committee. In particular, applications from the Baltic and former Eastern European countries are welcomed. Please send a short CV and accompanying letter to Stephen.McAdam@dnv.com by 10 January 2003.

Accommodation:

For participants needing accommodation, DNV has a negotiated deal with Golden Tulip Rainbow Hotel Oslofjord. The DNV price will be approximately 800 NOK per night, a saving of around 500 NOK.

Program

Monday 3rd of February

9:00 – 9:30 Registration and coffee
9:30 – 9:40 Conference opening and welcome
Pål Bergan, DNV

Session 1 – Risk, Biodiversity and GMOs
Chair: Pål Bergan, DNV, Norway
9:40 – 10:20 On the danger of exaggerated uncertainty
Prof. Nils Roll-Hansen, University of Oslo
10:20- 11:00 Risk and risk assessment; from oil production to mad cows.
Rolf Skjong, DNV, Norway

11:00 – 11:15 COFFEE BREAK

11:15 – 12:00 The biology of GM plants: in the present and in the future. Reidunn Aalen, University of Oslo, Norway.

12:00 – 13:00 LUNCH

Session 2 – Risk Assessment of GM Plants
Chair: Sissel Rogne
13:00 – 13:30 The uncertainties unique to GMOs
Terje Traavik, University of Tromsø, Norway
13:30- 14:00 Risk and uncertainty of GMO’s; an industry perspective
Kristoffer Vamling, Svalöf Weibull AB BASF, Sweden
14:00 – 14:30 Discussion

14:30 – 15:00 COFFEE/FRUIT BREAK

15:00 – 15:45 Current Norwegian, EU and International regulatory requirements in environmental risk assessment of GMOs.
Jan Husby, Directorate for Nature Management, Norway
15:45 – 16:30 Defining endpoints for risk assessment of GM plants
Alan Raybould, Syngenta, UK
16:30 – 17:15 Discussion

While waiting for the art gallery guided tour and dinner we suggest the following options:
1) Refreshments are served at Veritas. Then enjoy a 10 minute walk along the fjord to the art gallery or take a shuttle bus leaving at 18.25, or
2) go back to the Oslofjord Hotel in Sandvika by shuttle bus from Veritas at 17.30. The bus returns from the hotel at 18.15 and will take you to the art gallery.

18:30-19:30 Henie Onstad art gallery guided tour
19:30 - DINNER – Bølgen and Moi

Tuesday 4th of February

Session 3 – Identifying parameters of use in the risk assessment of GM plants.
Chair: Stephen McAdam

09:00 – 09:40 Quantitative risk assessment of the invasive potential of GM plants,
Rosemary Hails, CEH-Oxford, UK
9:40 – 10:20 Quantifying the invasion probability of genetically modified plants
Christian Damgaard, National Environmental Research Institute, Denmark
10:20 – 10:40 Discussion

10:40 – 11:00 COFFEE BREAK

11:00 – 11:40 Measuring and quantifying gene flow and introgression from crop plants into wild relatives.
Rikke Bagger Jørgensen, Risø Research Institute, Denmark
11:40 – 12:20 Selection of suitable non-target organisms for risk assessment purposes.
Angelika Hilbeck, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland
12:20 – 12:40 Discussion

12:40 – 13:40 LUNCH

Session 4 –
Chair: Casper Linnestad
13:40 – 14:10 Uncertainty, precaution and risk assessment.
Doreen Stabinsky, College of the Atlantic and Greenpeace USA

Session 5 - Round table discussion on risk assessments in theory and in practice
Panel discussion with representatives of the industry, NGO, regulatory authorities, academia, media
Chair: Werner Christie
14:20 – 16:00

1. Jan Husby,
2. Doreen Stabinsky
3. Alan Raybould,
4. Rikke Bagger Jørgensen
5. Rosemary Hails,
6. Angelika Hilbeck,

16.00 – 16:10 Concluding remarks – W. Christie

The organisers:

The Norwegian Biotechnology Advisory Board is an independent body consisting of 24 members appointed by the Norwegian Government. The main tasks of the Norwegian Biotechnology Advisory Board are to evaluate the social and ethical consequences of modern biotechnology and to discuss usage which promotes sustainable development.

DNV is an independent foundation with the objective of safeguarding life, property and the environment and is one of the worlds leading risk management organisations with extensive experience in shipping, offshore, nuclear and other industries. The DNV biotechnology research programme was recently established and with aims of developing risk methodologies for the biotechnology sector.

The Directorate for Nature Management is the national body with the scientific responsibility for managing the Norwegian countryside. The Directorate is responsible for monitoring the state of wildlife and the natural environment, and for identifying, preventing and solving environmental problems.