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Guidance

Genetic Modification Inspectorate: deliberate release inspection programme

Field inspection reports for the Genetic Modification Inspectorate deliberate release inspection programme in England.

Updates to this page

From:
Animal and Plant Health Agency
Published:
31 July 2014
Last updated:
23 October 2025
Show all updates

  1. Added new section for inspection reports from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.

  2. Added new research trial release reports.

  3. Added 'Growing season inspection report of Rothamsted Research Camelina release, 12 September 2023'

  4. Added growing season field inspection reports for 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.

  5. We have published the Growing season field inspection report of Rothamsted Research wheat release, 31 March 2023.

  6. Added 'Growing season inspection of Rothamsted Research GM camelina releases, 10 Aug 2022'

  7. Added 'Growing season inspection of Rothamsted Research GM camelina releases, 26 July 2022' and 'Growing season inspection of The Sainsbury Laboratory GM potato release, 21 July 2022'.

  8. Added 'Growing season inspection of Cambridge University Crop Science Centre GM barley release, 7 July 2022'.

  9. Added ‘Growing season inspection of John Innes Centre GM wheat release, 14 June 2022’.

  10. Added growing season field inspection of Rothamsted Research wheat release.

  11. Updated the document 'Growing season inspection of Rothamsted Research GM camelina releases, 13 August 2021' to include a report from 30 September 2021 at the same site.

  12. Added Growing season inspection of Rothamsted Research GM camelina releases, 13 August 2021.

  13. Added growing season inspection reports: John Innes Centre GM wheat release (14 July 2021) and The Sainsbury Laboratory GM potato releases (14 and 21 July 2021).

  14. Added growing season inspection of Rothamsted Research GM camelina release, 14 September 2020.

  15. Added research trial release report: The Sainsbury Laboratory GM potato releases, 18 and 21 August 2020.

  16. Adding clarification that controls on the environmental release of genetically modified organism (GMOs) are implemented by the competent authorities of the UK.

  17. Added growing season inspection reports for 2019

  18. Growing season inspection reports added

  19. Growing season field inspection report added

  20. Contact details added

  21. Growing Season Inspection of the Sainsbury Laboratory GM potato release, 20 September 2018

  22. Reports from 1 April 2018 - 31 March 2019 added.

  23. Field inspection report - potato release (August 2017) published

  24. Field inspection report (July 2017) published

  25. Field inspection report (July 2017) published

  26. Field inspection report (July 2016) published

  27. Field inspection report (June 2016) published

  28. Field inspection report (June 2015) published

  29. First published.

Applies to England

Controls on the environmental release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for research purposes are implemented by the competent authorities of the UK. These are in:

In England, consent to release a GMO is issued by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Specific consents are issued with strict conditions for conducting and managing any genetically modified organism release. It’s the GM Inspectorate’s responsibility to ensure that consent holders (the people granted consent to release a GMO) are complying with these conditions by undertaking inspections of GM deliberate release field sites for research trials and commercial consents.

For research trials consents, conditions may be imposed such as:

  • the location and size of GM release
  • separation distances from other crops
  • presence and size of pollen barriers
  • control of volunteers and flowering plants
  • monitoring requirements

GM Inspectors must verify that the release is compliant with these conditions. If the release is not compliant the consent holder will be contacted and the matter investigated.

For more information on obtaining consent to release a GMO, see GMO: applications and decisions.

Research trial release reports

Reports on field inspection visits are produced and submitted to Defra within 5 working days. The consent holder and Defra have 20 days to comment on the factual details of the report before the reports are placed on the public register and published.

Reports from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026

Reports from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025

Reports from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024

Reports from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023

Reports from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022

Reports from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021

Reports from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020

Reports from 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019

Reports from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018

Reports from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017

Reports from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016

Previous reports are available on the archived GM Inspectorate website.

Commercial cultivation of GM crops

There are currently no commercial releases of GM crops in the UK.

Contact

Contact the GM Inspectorate for:

  • more information on the GMO deliberate release inspection programme
  • if you have concerns or information about unauthorised GMOs that you believe may have been released in England

GM Inspectorate
Animal and Plant Health Agency
Sand Hutton
York YO41 1LZ
North Yorkshire
United Kingdom

Email: gm-inspec@apha.gov.uk

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