Implementing regulations on access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing (ABS) in the Biological Resource Centers members of RARe/AgroBRC

Abstract

Access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization (ABS) are subject to a series of regulations issued following the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted in 1992 to combat biopiracy at the international level, and the Nagoya protocol. ABS also covers traditional knowledge (TK) associated with genetic resources. These regulations pertain to the sovereignty of States over their biological resources, and an information exchange system was established by the Nagoya protocol in view to ensuring the transparency and traceability of access to, and the utilisation of, genetic resources. France and the European Union, which are Parties to the CBD and the Nagoya protocol, have also adopted regulations relating to ABS. The biological resource centers (BRC) which hold, characterise, conserve and distribute genetic resources are concerned by all these regulations. Compliance with the provisions requires that there are a minimum number of descriptors and data in their information systems. The objectives of the RARe research infrastructure regarding ABS are the compliance of its BRCs’ accessions and the inclusion in the European Union’s (EU) register of collections. To reach these objectives, RARe first established a project funded by IBiSA: ABS4BRCs, after which it set up a transversal working group dedicated to ABS. These actions permitted specifying the types of genetic resources subject to ABS in the BRCs, training the managers of the BRCs and making decision support tools available to them. A survey of the data relating to ABS in the information systems has made it possible to issue recommendations to adapt them to the requirements of ABS. It is also planned, starting from 2022, to provide support to the BRCs for their application for inclusion in EU’s register of collections.