This study is the result of a response to a policy request submitted by DG ENV to the Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) through the KCBD ticketing system. It provides a technical and legal analysis of six triggers for monetary benefit-sharing from the use of digital sequence information (DSI) on genetic resources, evaluated against the criteria in para. 9 of Decision 15/9 of the 15th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD/COP/DEC/15/9). This study suggests that a trigger based on commercial activity related to DSI (trigger 5) best meets the Decision’s criteria, with secondary options being commercialisation of DSI products (trigger 4) and a micro-levy (trigger 6). A fee at the point of access (trigger 1) and licences associated with DSI records (trigger 2) were found to restrict open access and innovation, require significant cooperation from database managers and fail to meet several criteria. Licences combined with mandatory cloud service platforms (trigger 3) also raise privacy and competition concerns. The commercialisation of DSI products (trigger 4) avoids impacting research but requires clear definitions and reliable payment collection. A micro-levy on DSI-related products or services (trigger 6) is feasible but may not effectively link to DSI use. The study finds that trigger 5, potentially combined with some elements from triggers 2 and/or 6, could support the development of a DSI multilateral mechanism (MLM) that meets the criteria of para. 9 of Decision 15/9.
Authors
Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Weissgold, Lily, Switzer, Stephanie, Eccleston-Turner, Mark, Hartman Scholz, Amber
- Catalogue number
- KJ-02-24-835-EN-N
- Citation
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Weissgold, L., Switzer, S., Eccleston-Turner, M. et al., A technical and legal analysis of triggers for monetary benefit-sharing from digital sequence information on genetic resources , Publications Office of the European Union, 2024, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/936096
- DOI
- https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/936096
- ISBN
- 978-92-68-19794-3
- Pages
- 49
- Published in
- Belgium
- Themes
- Information technology and telecommunications , Environment policy and protection of the environment
Table of Contents
- Contents 3
- Abstract 5
- Acknowledgements 6
- Authors 6
- Executive summary 7
- Fee at the point of access (Trigger 1) 7
- Benefit-sharing licences associated with DSI records (Trigger 2) 7
- Licences along with mandatory use of cloud service platforms (Trigger 3) 8
- Commercialisation of DSI-based products (Trigger 4) 8
- Commercial activity related to DSI use (Trigger 5) 8
- Micro-levy products or services associated with DSI generation, laboratory equipment, and/or cloud-computing fees (Trigger 6) 9
- 1 Introduction 10
- 1.1 Terminology 11
- 2 DSI monetary benefit-sharing trigger analysis 13
- 2.1 Trigger 1 - Fee at the point of access 13
- 2.1.1 Description of trigger 14
- 2.1.2 Technical feasibility 14
- 2.1.3 Legal feasibility 15
- 2.2 Trigger 2 - Licences associated with individual DSI records 16
- 2.2.1 Description of trigger 17
- 2.2.2 Technical feasibility 18
- 2.2.3 Legal feasibility 19
- 2.3 Trigger 3 - Licences associated with individual DSI records with mandatory use of cloud services related to DSI storage or processing 20
- 2.3.1 Description of trigger 21
- 2.3.2 Technical feasibility 21
- 2.3.3 Legal feasibility 22
- 2.4 Trigger 4 - Commercialisation fee based on individual DSI products 23
- 2.4.1 Description of trigger 23
- 2.4.2 Technical feasibility 23
- 2.4.3 Legal feasibility 25
- 2.5 Trigger 5 - Commercial activity related to DSI 25
- 2.5.1 Description of trigger 26
- 2.5.2 Technical feasibility 26
- 2.5.2.1 Global terms of use linked to access 26
- 2.5.2.2 DSI MLM-based system 27
- 2.5.2.3 Set list of DSI-using entities 27
- 2.5.3 Legal feasibility 28
- 2.5.3.1 Global terms of use linked to access 28
- 2.5.3.2 DSI MLM-based system 29
- 2.5.3.3 Set list of DSI-using entities 29
- 2.6 Trigger 6 - Micro-Levy on products or services associated with DSI generation, laboratory equipment, and/or cloud-computing fees activity related to DSI 29
- 2.6.1 Description of trigger 30
- 2.6.2 Technical feasibility 30
- 2.6.3 Legal feasibility 30
- 3 Rate setting 31
- 3.1 Considerations for triggers 1 and 3 31
- 3.2 Considerations for triggers 2, 4 and 5 32
- 3.2.1 Percentage-based 32
- 3.2.2 Set list of fees 32
- 3.2.3 Level of granularity 33
- 3.3 Legal analysis 33
- 4 Common legal issues 34
- 4.1 Forum shopping 34
- 4.2 Compliance/enforcement 34
- 4.3 Overlap with other ABS systems/fragmentation 35
- 4.4 Scope 36
- 4.5 Capacities to monitor, collect and enforce 37
- 4.6 Data 37
- 5 Conclusions 39
- References 41
- List of abbreviations and definitions 42
- List of boxes 44
- List of tables 45
- Annexes 46
- Annex 1. Traffic light analysis 46
