Monitoring

Monitoring parallel to cultivation is required for genetically modified plants in the EU.

Under the terms of the amended release directive (2001/18/EG), a post-release monitoring plan must accompany applications for cultivating GM plants.

Authorisation is contingent upon a parallel, general monitoring plan, which in some cases can include special stipulations addressing crop-specific areas of concern.

The purpose of monitoring is to identify unforseen effects of large-scale GMO production on the environment. It can also be useful for determining if potential negative effects noticed during safety assessments actually cause problems.