| Author (Corporate) | European Commission: Press and Communication Service |
|---|---|
| Series Title | Press Release |
| Series Details | IP/04/21 (7.1.04) |
| Publication Date | 07/01/2004 |
| Content Type | News |
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When a European Union company uses exotic plants like aloe vera for producing cosmetics it should share the benefits of this use with the country where the plant came from. This is the key message in a Communication adopted by the European Commission on 23 December 2003 ('The implementation by the EC of the 'Bonn Guidelines' on access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing under the Convention on Biological Diversity'). The use of exotic plants like aloe vera, ginseng, green tea, jojoba oil, etc is widespread in the EU, particularly in cosmetics. Several industry sectors are investing in research to discover new applications for such so called 'genetic resources' in medicines, cosmetics or agriculture. The Communication urges companies and research institutes not to take genetic resources from other countries - usually developing countries that are rich in bio-diversity - without their consent. European companies and research institutes should guarantee that the countries of origin get a fair share of the profits and research results arising from the use of their resources. |
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| Source Link | http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/04/21&format=HTML&rapid=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en&display= |
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| Subject Categories | Geography |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
