The Central Biosafety Commission (ZKBS - Zentrale Kommission für
die Biologische Sicherheit) is an expert scientific committee made
up of 20 members and 20 deputy members, who represent different
specialist areas or spheres of corporate interest. Its offices are
based at the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety
(BVL - Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit).
Its members and deputy members are appointed by the Federal
Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV -
Bundesministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und
Verbrauch-erschutz) for three years. The ZKBS evaluates genetically
modified organisms (GMOs) for possible risk potential, assigns
genetic engineering operations to a biosafety level and recommends
suitable safety measures. The german federal states obtain ZKBS
position statements for genetic engineering operations in safety
categories 3 and 4 and for operations in a lower safety category,
whose classification is not clear. The ZKBS also evaluates approval
applications for releases and for the placing of GMOs on the market
and also issues a report to the BVL. An activity report is
published annually.
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