Subcommittee Medical and Veterinary Aspects (ScMV)

Fourteen COGEM members serve on the Subcommittee Medical and Veterinary Aspects. These members have diverse areas of expertise, such as virology, bacteriology, mycology, and medicine.

The subcommittee assesses the risks to humans and the environment posed by genetic modification within the medical and veterinary fields. This includes permit applications for experiments in laboratories and animal facilities, as well as clinical and veterinary studies involving gene therapy or vaccines based on genetically modified viruses or bacteria. The subcommittee also carries out an environmental risk analysis as part of the authorisation process for the market approval of medical or veterinary products consisting of GMOs. In addition, the subcommittee is involved in classifying human and/or animal pathogenic microorganisms into a pathogenicity class.

The subcommittee closely monitors new developments concerning (the creation of) GMOs. When applications are developed that may entail environmental risks, the subcommittee may decide that advice or information on the matter is required.

Most of the advisory reports are produced digitally. The subcommittee meets five times a year to discuss the latest developments and more complex advisory topics.