Post-release monitoring and long-term effects of LMOs released into the environment

Dear colleagues,
My name is Marja Ruohonen-Lehto and I work as a Senior Adviser in the Finnish Environment Institute. I have almost 15 years of experience in environmental risk assessment of LMOs/GMOs. I have also been actively participating in the EU (Commission) working group on monitoring and been responsible together with colleagues from Austria, Belgium and Italy in developing specific monitoring guidance for oilseed rape (Brassica napus/rapa).

I am sorry that I only now, at the last moment, have the possibility to join (due to other obligations and traveling) the discussions. However, I think that the discussions have been excellent and I do not necessarily have a lot to add. The main issues of monitoring have been taken up: good planning, representative regions, scientific approach to data collection (statistical power of replicas and sample sets), baseline information and data, standardized methods, possibility to use available/already existing e.g. environmental monitoring programs, choosing indicator species for different geographical regions, feasible time used for monitoring and last, but not least, practical monitoring plans that can be carried out properly. This is of course not an exhaustive list.

The most important thing in monitoring is that your monitoring plan/regime can really give an answer to the questions that you are asking. A lot of emphasis should be given to planning of scientifically sound monitoring regimes. It is often stated or argued that monitoring is not scientific research and this is true of course. However, we do have a perception of possible adverse effects and uncertainties linked to LMOs/GMOs and these are the very issues that should be monitored. And they must be monitored with scientifically sound methods and approaches.