Management of (CBD related) permits and collaboration with governmental institutions

Access to research locations and export of collected samples or biological material are vital to the success of a research project such as EFForTS carrying out research concerning the CBD at international level. The implementation of the project followed the guidelines of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG; German Research Foundation) “Supplementary instructions of the DFG concerning projects with the scope of the CBD” .

The export of samples is carried out in compliance with the national regulations of Indonesia for the export of biological material (see CBD Board). Over the past years, we developed agreements, standard operational procedures and Infosheets to implement the country’s regulation on research and export of biological material. It is a great success for EFForTS that procedures could be aligned and harmonized with the support of and in close cooperation with the governmental institutions in Indonesia: The State Ministry of Research and Technology and Higher Education (KEMENRISTEKDIKTI), the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) and the National Focal Point of the CBD (Dr. Teguh Triono, see above, MoA between the University of Göttingen and the Consortium) – resulting in a transparent, open and trustful collaboration (see ABS measures within EFForTS ). Meanwhile, KEMENRISTEKDIKTI in Indonesia regards EFForTS as best practice example in increasing benefit sharing resulting from international research collaboration.

Further, we initiated declaring due diligence in relation to Article 7(1) of Regulation (EU) No 511/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council ‘On Compliance Measures for users from the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization in the Union’ by uploading the following National Permits of relevant EFForTS subprojects to the DECLARE Data submission portal hosted by the European Commission (bulk submission EC ID 27651, currently in revision by BfN): 1. Prior Informed Consent / PIC (Indonesian: PADIA, Persetujuan Atas Dasar Informasi Awal), signed by BKSDA Jambi (Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam; Nature Conservation Agency at provincial level), 2. Collection Permits, signed by KKH Jakarta (Direktorat Konservasi Keanekaragaman Hayati; Directorate Biodiversity Conservation), and 3. Export Permits, signed by KSDAE Jakarta (Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan; The Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republik of Indonesia).