Corporate report

Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) annual report 2023

Published 21 February 2024

Foreword by the Chair, Professor Jim Dunwell

This is the thirtieth annual report of the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE). The report highlights the work of the Committee during the year.

ACRE is an independent advisory non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). ACRE’s primary function is to provide statutory advice to the governments across the UK on the potential risks to human health and the environment from the release, and marketing, of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). ACRE also advises on the release of certain non-GM species that are not native to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and proposed for use as biological control agents.  

Following his departure, I would like to extend my thanks for the valuable contributions made by Professor Andrew Peters since being appointed to the Committee in 2020. I would equally like to extend a very warm welcome to 3 new members who joined the Committee during 2023. Professor Andrew Millar, Professor Huw D Jones and Dr Huw E Jones bring additional expertise in plant molecular genetics, and genetics and genomics in livestock. I would like to thank the current members of ACRE for their continuing support, and dedication, along with the assessors, and the ACRE Secretariat for their efforts in supporting the work of the Committee.

ACRE met 3 times during 2023, addressing the full range of ACRE’s statutory duties and responsibilities. All meetings were well attended by members, observers and policy officials.

Openness and transparency are important for the Committee. I am keen that ACRE continues to uphold these principles by publishing the minutes of its meetings and its advice to government, and holding meetings open to the public as business allows.

Main activities

Meetings

ACRE discussed a wide range of business including:

• a research application to undertake a field trial of GM Camelina sativa
• fourteen GM food and feed applications
• three applications to market GM veterinary medicines
• the Environmental Principle Policy Statement introduced in the Environment Act
• the Genetic Technologies Act
• technical advances in genetic technologies
• updates in the international research and development arena, including risk assessment and risk management of gene drive organisms being considered under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

There were regular updates from other relevant committees.

Working closely with the Food Standards Agency’s Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes has been particularly important as the process for assessing food and feed derived from precision bred organisms is developed. An application for a GM clinical research trial using a GM form of Respiratory Syncytial Virus was received by Defra in late December. This underwent the usual regulatory validation before being passed to ACRE and will be discussed by the Committee in early 2024.

ACRE conducted other specific areas of business through correspondence, and in line with ACRE’s commitment to openness and transparency all minutes of meetings, and the advice that the Committee provided to government are published on the ACRE webpages hosted by GOV.UK.   

Casework

Applications for GM releases for research purposes

ACRE assessed an application for a GM Camelina research field trial where the plant has been engineered to store health-beneficial omega-3 long chain poly-unsaturated fatty acids in the seeds. Having considered the application, ACRE requested further information before making a final decision; this information is awaited.

Read about releases of GMOs for research purposes.

Qualifying GM higher plants for research purposes

Defra received 9 notifications of qualifying GM higher plants to be used for research purposes.

Read about notifications.

One developer asked Defra for advice on the regulatory status of their product. ACRE advised that it did not qualify for this status. Read advice on the regulatory status of potato transformants.

Applications for GM releases for marketing purposes

The Committee assessed 3 applications to market veterinary vaccines. One is a vaccine for use in poultry to offer protection against Marek’s disease. The other 2 aim to protect cattle from infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR).

During the year, ACRE assessed the environmental risk assessments for 14 applications to market food or feed products for consumption, importation or processing (or both) which are made from, or contain (a) GM organism(s).

The Committee has generic advice to encompass its GM food and feed related advice:

• ACRE advice: applications to market GM soybeans and maize

• ACRE advice: applications to market GM cotton and rice

• ACRE advice: applications to market GM oilseed rape

Governance and transparency

ACRE is a statutory advisory committee appointed under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Part VI, section 124.  ACRE works within the legislative framework set out in the GMO Deliberate Release Regulations, 2002, which, together, implement Directive 2001/18/EC (retained EU law) and advise on the regulatory status of qualifying higher plants under the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022.

Read about the work and membership of ACRE:

• governance agreement
• terms of reference
• biographies and register of interests