Sir

The assessment of any new technology demands a balanced consideration of both the possible associated risks and the perceived social benefits. All too often, however, regulatory apparatus provides only for the scientific assessment of risk, thus concealing the corresponding consideration of wider issues.

We note that, under the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity, negotiations about an international ‘Biosafety Protocol’ for the regulation of the use and transfer of genetically modified organisms are approaching conclusion. Whether or not this protocol will provide for the consideration of social and economic issues is as yet undecided.

As individuals involved in either the development or implementation of risk-assessment frameworks for biotechnology, we are unhappy with the unspoken expectation that we should assess not just the possible risks associated with the commercial release of a genetically modified organism but also, tacitly, the broader social implications. We submit, therefore, that new regulations should permit the overt consideration of socio-economic issues before the environmental release or transboundary movement of genetically modified organisms.

Implementation of such provisions may not be straightforward, but their inclusion would at least allow open discussion of issues that many regulators are currently obliged to consider implicitly.