European Federation Biotechnology
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	NEWS The WP meeting will be held Friday, 08. September 2000 at the Biotechnology 2000 conference in Berlin (http://dechema.de/biotechnology2000). The meeting will be at Salon 21 ("Lilienthal") directly on the ICC campus. You can access the Salon 21 directly from the main lobby of the ICC. As the Salon 21 is not part of the Biotechnology2000 conference site, you can access our meeting room without having to worry about being registered for the conference. Admission to the Salon 21 will be free for WP members. New Publication: Safe Biotechnology 10: DNA content of biotechnological process waste Trends in Biotechnology, 2000, in press Contribution to the European Biosafety Association Annual Conference 1999 Chair to Session II: Biosafety in the environment (Abstracts available on the internet) Contributions to the First Latin American Symposium on Transgenic Products, September 26th-29th, 1999, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil . Laboratory Acquired Infections - A bibliography compiled by Chris Collins updated 07.August 2000 Future Activities Workshop on Biosafety issues of transgenic animals in pharmaceutical production, planned for Spring 2000, Vienna, Austria WP meeting and contribution to the World Congress on Biotechnology 2000  Chairman: Otto Doblhoff-Dier , Inst. Applied Microbiology, Vienna, Austria Secretary: Harald Haymerle, Zürich Cosmos Versicherung, Vienna Austria Contact: Otto Doblhoff-Dier Univ. Agricultural Sciences Inst. Applied. Microbiology Nussdorfer Laende 11 A-1190 Vienna, Austria Tel:*43-1-36006-6204 FAX: *43-1-3697615 Email:doblhoff@edv2.boku.ac.at Former chairmen: H. Lelieveld 1992 - 1997 W. Frommer 1987 - 1992 M. Küenzi 1984 - 1987 K. Sargeant 1981 - 1984 Former secretaries: O. Doblhoff 1992 - 1997 R. Simon 1990 - 1992 P. Krämer 1987 - 1990 C.H. Collins 1984 - 1987 J.A. Cole 1981 - 1984   Philosophy The objective of the Working Party is to help maintain the excellent safety record of biotechnological operations through its activities and by creating an information network through its national members and members from international organisations. Terms of reference: To provide recommendations on the safety aspects of biotechnology with respect to the environement, the public, personnel and product. This shall be accomplished by the following strategy: To identify and monitor hazards associated with various applications in BT To assess and quantify risks To provide an international platform for issues related to safety in biotechnology To produce statements and recommendations (based on science and technology) To identify areas of insufficient knowledge or inadequate technology with respect to safety in biotechnology and to propose research and development in such areas To assist in the implementation of the recommendations and guidelines on safety in biotechnology. Organisation The working party will meet regularly, in principle twice yearly. The regular meetings are attended by the Working Party members and the official observers. In 1998 17 countries and 4 organisations (WHO, EEC, OECD, UNIDO) were represented by 42 members. Sometimes guests are invited invited to give presentations on particular topics. Several committees have been set up following the identification of problems and subsequent definition of tasks. Activities In its efforts to further the understanding of safety aspects in biotechnological operations and to improve international harmonisation, the Working Party has started a series of reports entitled "Safe Biotechnology" (Parts 1 - 10). Further publications are to be issued in: the EFB Newsletter specialised scientific journals scientific review journals (to address non-specialist scientists) popular journals (to address interested population at large) Where applicable, this will be done in cooperation with the Task Group Public Perception. The WP organizes workshops and symposia on its own initiative or in collaboration with national organisations, e.g. in   the EU Advanced Workshop on Biosafety under participation of the EFB WP Safety in Biotechnology, 22.-25.March 1999, TNO, Zeist, Netherlands. Biotechnology in the Public: DNA and the Quality of Life, 2 to 4 December 1998, Vienna International Centre, Vienna, Austria, organised by the EFB Task Group on  Public Perceptions Of Biotechnology and the UNIDO 28 - 29 May 1998, Vienna International information and discussion forum on the potential implications for biotechnology R&D and production of the legally binding protocol being negotiated to strengthen the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC)(click here for details). Some conclusions from this conference were featured in Science: J. Rath, B. Jank, O. Doblhoff-Dier, " Biological Weapons Control", Science, p 2194, (1998) the mini-symposium "Relsease of biological agents into the environment: Applications and safety evaluation" organised within the UNIDO/ICGEB course on "Transgenic Organisms in the New Millenium: Risks and Benefits" (click for details), sympsoia and workshops at the 8th European Congress on Biotechnology ECB8 - Budapest (1997), joint SABAF/WP workshop in Vienna (1997), the international biosafety course in Vienna (1996), ECB7-France(1995), ECB6-Florence(1993), ECB5-Lingby(1990), Comett-Paris(1989), ADEBIO-Grenoble(1989),   Members of the Working Party participate in other organsiations concerned with the issue of biosafety such as in the CEN (TC233 and its subgroups) the European Biosafety Association (EBSA), WHO, the UNIDO Biosafety Information Network and Advisory Service (BINAS) and OECD.
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