# The Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations 1992, Regulation 2: Interpretation


(1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires—
“the 1989 Regulations” means the Genetic Manipulation Regulations 1989;
“accident” means any incident involving a significant and unintended release of genetically modified organisms in the course of an activity involving genetic modification which presents an immediate or delayed hazard to human health or to the environment;
“approved” means approved in writing for the time being by the Executive;
“activity involving genetic modification” means any operation involving the contained use of a genetically modified organism;
“contained use” means any operation in which organisms are genetically modified or in which such genetically modified organisms are cultured, stored, used, transported, destroyed or disposed of and for which physical barriers or a combination of physical barriers with chemical or biological barriers or both, are used to limit their contact with the general population and the environment;
“the contained use Directive” means Council Directive No. 90/219/EEC on the contained use of genetically modified micro-organisms;
“the Executive” means the Health and Safety Executive;
“genetic modification” in relation to an organism means the altering of the genetic material in that organism by a way that does not occur naturally by mating or natural recombination or both and within the terms of this definition—
(a) genetic modification occurs at least through the use of the techniques listed in Part I of Schedule 1; and
(b) the techniques listed in Part II of that Schedule are not considered to result in genetic modification,
and “genetically modified” shall be construed accordingly;
“genetic modification safety committee” means the committee established in accordance with regulation 11;
“micro-organism” means a microbiological entity, cellular or non-cellular, capable of replication or of transferring genetic material including animal or plant cell cultures;
“organism” means a biological entity capable of replication or of transferring genetic material and includes a micro-organism;
“self-cloning” means the removal of nucleic acid from a cell or organism, followed by the re-insertion of all or part of that nucleic acid — with or without further enzymic, chemical or mechanical steps — into the same cell type (or cell-line) or into a phylogenetically closely related species which can naturally exchange genetic material with the donor species;
“Type A operation” means any activity involving genetically modified microorganisms for the purposes of teaching, research, development, or for non-industrial or non-commercial purposes on a scale at which the practices and conditions of the operations relative to the culture, volume and numbers of organisms involved is such that—
(a) the system used to keep the organisms under containment reflects good microbiological practice and good occupational safety and hygiene; and
(b) it is possible easily to render the organisms inactive by standard laboratory decontamination techniques;
“Type B operation” means any activity involving the genetic modification of microorganisms other than a Type A operation.
(2) Genetically modified organisms shall be classified—
(a) in the case of micro-organisms—
(i) as Group I micro-organisms if they comply with such of the criteria set out in Part I of Schedule 2 as are applicable to the particular case, determined in accordance with the guidelines set out in Part II of that Schedule which gives effect to Commission Decision 91/448/EEC, or
(ii) as Group II micro-organisms if they do not comply with the said criteria; or
(b) in the case of genetically modified organisms other than micro-organisms, in accordance with the criteria set out in Part III of Schedule 2.
(3) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires—
(a) a reference to a numbered Part, regulation or Schedule is a reference to the Part, regulation or Schedule in these Regulations so numbered; and
(b) a reference to a numbered paragraph is a reference to the paragraph so numbered in the regulation or Schedule in which that reference occurs.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1992/3217/regulation/2 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/genetically-modified-organisms-contained-use-regulations-1992/regulation-2
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.