Compliance with international obligations on access and benefit sharing on genetic resources and traditional knowledge associated with it, in particular by ensuring EU users’ compliance with ABS requirements and measures, in order to facilitate benefit sharing.  

Overview:

EU webpage on access and benefit sharing.

Main legislation in place:

The EU ABS Regulation on genetic resources users’ compliance establishes due diligence obligations (legally binding) for users of genetic resources in the EU, and requires Member States to adopt plans for checks and to check on users’ compliance with ABS legislations and measures. This Regulation implements the Nagoya Protocol’s obligation to monitor users’ compliance. 

Legislation proposed:

N/A

Other policy instruments:

The Guidance document on EU ABS legislation aims to facilitate understanding of ABS rules and measures. 

The European Commission is regularly promoting, financing and organising initiatives to raise awareness and build capacities about ABS in the EU, including on more recent issues such as Digital Sequence Information. Those initiatives include, inter alia, workshops, webinars, an ABS Helpdesk for Member States, informative documents and material, as well as several studies on digital sequence information.

The European Commission provided 5 million EUR over the period 2017-2022 for ABS capacity development in selected countries of the African and Asia-Pacific regions via the European Development Fund.

This EU contribution aligns with GBF Target 13 and covers all elements of the global target.  

For financing and capacity-building, please refer to the EU contributions to Targets 19 and 20.