Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Committee, Twenty-Fourth Meeting – May 25-26, 2005 – Summary

May 25th – Evening

Participants

CBAC Members

Dr. Arnold Naimark (Chair), Pete Desai, Barry Glickman, Lyne Létourneau, Linda Lusby, Anne Mitchell, Peter Phillips, David Punter, Mary Alton Mackey

CBAC Staff

Kim Elmslie (Executive Director), Brent Johnston, Marnie McCall, Tara Menor

Regrets

Gloria Bishop, Pavel Hamet

1.   Executive Director's Update

• CBAC's future will be addressed in the renewal of the Canadian Biotechnology Strategy. Particular mention was made of the new Canadian Academies of Science and their complementary role to CBAC even though CBAC remains a distinctive voice on biotechnology advice to government. It was also noted that the Minister of Industry has created an Expert Panel on Commercialization to advise the government on strategies to improve Canada's commercialization performance.
  
  
• Review of minutes from February 9-10, 2005 CBAC meeting
  • Decisions/Actions: Approved
    
    
• Review of CBAC Financial Statement for 2005-06
  • Decisions/Actions: Financial statement requires further updating
    
    
• Review of CBAC workplan for 2005-06:
  • Human Genetic Materials, Intellectual Property and the Health Sector (GIPH) Project
  • Biotechnology, Sustainability and Canada's Future Economy (BSDE) Project
  • Two draft statements of work for CBAC advisory memoranda on genetically modified food labelling (update earlier CBAC memo) and molecular farming (scoping paper).
    • Decisions/Actions: Approved
      
      

2.   GIPH Project and Discussion of Path Forward

• Expert Working Party report will be submitted to CBAC and it will transmit it to government along with its own commentary.
  • Decisions/Actions: Outline of commentary to be discussed at next CBAC meeting.
    
    

May 26th – All Day

Participants

CBAC Members

Dr. Arnold Naimark (Chair), Pete Desai, Barry Glickman, Lyne Létourneau, Linda Lusby, Anne Mitchell, Peter Phillips, David Punter, Mary Alton Mackey

CBAC Staff

Kim Elmslie (Executive Director), Brent Johnston, Marnie McCall, Kelly Brannen, Tara Menor

Guests

Arthur Hansen, Chair, Expert Working Party, BSDE project, Stuart Lee, Environment Canada, Tim Hodges, Environment Canada, David Minns, Consultant

Regrets

Gloria Bishop, Pavel Hamet

1.   BSDE Project: Presentation on Scoping Paper - Arthur Hansen, Chair BSDE Expert Working Party (EWP)

• Presentation focused on how transformational biotechnology applications can be harnessed in support of Canada's sustainable development goals.
• Biotechnology can also drive Canada's productivity, innovation and commercialization performance.
  
  Decisions/Actions:
  • Define further research to be undertaken (bio-products & SD, environment & R&D, SD framework for biotechnology, international cooperation strategy in biotechnology, comparative future studies/scenarios/foresight).
  • BSDE EWP recruitment to be completed by end of May 2005.
    
    

2.   Ecosystem Effects of Novel Living Organisms (EENLO) Project - Dr. Stuart Lee, Science Policy Branch, Environment Canada

• Presentation focused on building an integrated approach to long-term ecosystem effects of novel living organisms in order to strengthen the sound scientific basis for policies/decisions/management of NLOs.
  
  Decisions/Actions:
  • Explore how CBAC/GM Foods Dialogue Tool could be helpful in engaging Canadian industry.
    
    

3.   Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Project - Tim Hodges, Biodiversity Convention Office, Environment Canada

• Presentation focused on developing domestic and international policies/legislation/treaties to ensure access to and benefit sharing of genetic resources.
  
  Decisions/Actions:
  • Explore how CBAC could help communicate ABS work to its 'community of practice' and link with BSDE project.
    
    

4.   Sustainability Assessment Framework Tool (SAFT) - David Minns, Consultant (formerly, Special Advisor on Sustainable Development Technology, National Research Council, Institute for Chemical Process and Environmental Technology)

• Presentation focused on developing a pathway to assess potential technology performance impacts/outcomes on key sustainable development indicators.
  
  Decisions/Actions:
  • Explore how the SAFT might help inform the SD assessment framework to be developed as part of BSDE project.
    
    

5.   Next Meeting

• Decision/Actions: Fall 2005 (date TBD)