NGO intervention on behalf of Ecoropa and many of the civil society organizations present at MOP7
A prerequisite to take appropriate measures on unintentional transboundary movements is the capacity to detect and identify LMOs in an accurate and efficient manner. Speedy responses are needed.

• The Strategic Plan, under its operational objectives 1.6, 1.8, and 2.3, specifies the necessary outcomes of the work on our agenda item.
  Development of easy to use and reliable technical tools for the detection of unauthorized LMOs and personnel trained and equipped for sampling, detection and identification of LMOs. This will, in all probability, require specific capacity-building with financial and budgetary implications, we think.
• Development of guidance on how to detect and take measures to respond to unintentional releases of LMOs. This will need regionally balanced input, we think.

We welcome the important work currently being undertaken by the network of laboratories for the detection and identification of LMOs. The network in its report has provided several recommendations to COP-MOP that are not currently reflected in the draft decision but only in Annex I para (a). We consider them to be crucial:

• Improve the accessibility and availability in the BCH of information related to appropriate control samples, reference materials, validated methods and protocols for detection
• Due to the fact that the capacity to detect and identify unintentional transboundary movements and take emergency measures requires access to not only sequence information but also to positive control samples, Parties should be urged to require LMO developers to provide appropriate control samples of LMOs in use both in field trials and commercial use when requested by competent authorities of importing parties.

Finally, the recommendation of the Compliance Committee to clarify what is an “unintentional transboundary movement” in contrast with an “illegal transboundary movement”. Due diligence needs a high standard!