No L 279/42 Official Journal of the European Communities 12. 11. 93 COMMISSION DECISION - of 22 October 1993 establishing the criteria for simplified procedures concerning the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified plants pursuant to Article 6 (5) of Council Directive 90/220/EEC (93/584/EEC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, ' Having regard to Council Directive 90/220/EEC of 23 April 1990 on the deliberate release into the environ- ment of genetically modified organisms ('), and in parti- cular Article 6 (5) thereof, Whereas, where a competent authority considers that sufficient experience has been obtained of releases of certain genetically modified organisms (GMOs), it may submit to the Commission a request for the application of simplified procedures for the release for such types of- GMOs, and whereas the Commission is required to esta- blish criteria based on safety to human health and the environment and on the exidence available on such . safety, to enable the Commission to decide whether a specific simplified procedure should be approved; Whereas there is now accumulated knowledge and data available concerning the necessary prerequisites for safety to human health and the environment for the release of certain types of GMOs; Whereas it is considered appropriate that given the diffe- rent safety concerns for different types of organsims, sepa- rate criteria should be established for plants, animals and micro-organisms and that accordingly, the criteria esta- blished by this Decision are applicable only in relation to genetically modified plants, which is the group of GMOs with which most of the experience has been acquired to date ; i Whereas evidence from releases of genetically modified plants has indicated that the safety of releases of such plants depends on the characteristics of the recipient plant species, on the characteristics of the inserted sequences and their products, and on the receiving ecosystems, and whereas the criteria to be established should be aimed specifically at the evaluation of these characteristics ; () OJ No L 117, 8. 5. 1990, p. 15. Whereas these criteria form an objective and harmonized basis for decisions on the requests for application of simplified procedures ; Whereas is is appropriate, in the interest of transparency, to establish a uniform procedure for the making of a request for simplified procedures ; Whereas, such a request should be based on experience with the GMOs under consideration and on the evidence of safety for human health and the environment and whereas, to these ends, it is appropriate that this expe- rience may include the competent authority’s own expe- rience with releases of the same GMOs and the expe- rience in similar ecosystems whether within the Commu- nity or internationally, of the GMOs under consideration ; Whereas it is important, in the interests of the greatest possible applicability of uniform procedures, compatible with considerations of safety to human health and the environment, that all Member States should have the opportunity to join in any request for the application of simplified procedures and whereas to this effect an appro- priate procedure should be established ; Whereas this Decision is in accordance with the opinion of the Committee established under Article 21 of Direc- tive 90/220/EEC, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION : Article 1 1. The Commission shall take a decision on the appli-’ cation for simplified procedures for the deliberate release of genetically modified plants, as required under Article 6 -(5) of Directive 20/220/EEC, by reference to the criteria set out in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 and by reference to the sufficient experience and evidence thereof referred to in Article 2. 2.  The criteria relating to the characteristics of the reci- pient plant species shall be as follows : (a) the taxonomic status and the biology (mode of repro- duction and pollination, ability to cross with related species), should be well-known,