Action Points Note

1. Secretariat to redraft regulatory outline paper to reflect Core Groups’ comments and attribute work:

· Insert an additional point between 2 & 3: Evidence-taking session with individuals who are working to develop these technologies to gage an understanding of the practical difficulties and the problems they are encountering. [Whoever is doing the legal analysis should be present for this stage]

· Point 4: Should also include the practical implications. An appropriate expert needs to work alongside the lawyer, e.g. an agronomist

· Insert an additional point between 4 & 5: Analyse the implications of stage 4 and draw out the strategic elements of this.

2. Secretariat to modify gannt chart to reflect above.

3. Secretariat to alter draft TV pitch as agreed by Core Group:

· Pat Wilson’s introduction was preferred. The biotechnology angle of this needs to be brought out and climate change should be fed in, as this is a topical issue.

4. Secretariat to draft “letters of instruction” by Friday 11 June for guests being invited to the July Commission meeting in Aberdeen. Core Group to check these before they are sent. Letters of instruction to contain:

· For Diana Bowles, a request for a thematic overview of biotechnology and non-food agriculture.

· For tree experts, a request to recommend a case study for trees and biotechnology and ask for feedback on the Core Group’s idea of bioethanol and essential oils against a criteria including:

Ø what it could potentially deliver

Ø benefits to society

Ø risks

Ø time frame

Ø viability

5. Secretariat to circulate above letters to all Commissioners once they have been sent to guests and ask for the Commission to be prepared to sign off a case study for Biotechnology and trees at the July Commission meeting.

6. Secretariat and Core Group to prepare short presentation of progress for 7-8 July Commission meeting.

7. Core Group agreed that once they had done the trees evidence session with the whole Commission in Aberdeen they would be in a position to do the other evidence sessions just as a core group enabling the workstream to progress more quickly.

8. Secretariat to arrange guests for evidence taking sessions at July and August Core Group meetings:

· Julian Ma (pharmaceuticals)

· European Head of Cargill Dow (bioplastics)

· David Turley (CSL)

· Ray Marriott of Botanix (trees/essential oils)

· Robert Webb (Clark McTavish)

· Someone from Agrotech

9. Secretariat to arrange date of next Core Group meeting in late August.