The Advanced Informed Agreement (AIA) defines mandatory procedures to be applied to the first transboundary movement of an LMO for intentional introduction into the environment. LMOs intended for direct use as food or feed, or for processing are subject to a different procedure (see Module 1, Slide 18).

The AIA procedure begins with the Party of export or the exporter notifying the Party of import of the proposed transboundary movement of an LMO for intentional introduction into the environment. The notification must contain at a minimum the information specified in Annex I of the Protocol including, among other things, contact details of the exporter and importer, name and identity of the LMO and its intended use, as well as a risk assessment report consistent with Annex III of the Protocol.

The Party of import has 90 days to acknowledge the receipt of the notification, and 270 days to communicate its decision to the notifier and the Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH). In its decision, the Party of import may approve ¹ or prohibit the import of the LMO, request further information or extend the decision period for a defined amount of time. If a Party of import does not communicate its decision within 270 days, it should not be understood that consent was given.