Round table on biotechnology

On 11 July 1991 the Commission's internal Biotechnology Coordination Committee (BCC) held the first Round Table on Biotechnology under the chairmanship of Mr D.F. Williamson (Secretary-General) and with the participation of key persons active in the field. Aiming to provide an open forum of variable composition depending on the subjects to be discussed and to which participants are invited on an individual basis, the Round Table should become a major source of input to the BCC. A central theme was the future of biotechnology in Europe. Participants discussed in particular the Commission's communication on promoting a competitive environment for industrial activities based on biotechnology within the Community (SEC(91) 629). Importance was attached to the regulatory approach and the implementation of existing Community legislation, to the risks and benefits of biotechnology and its image, to intellectual property protection and to the preparation of a mandate for industrial standardization.