S.L. 549.111 ст. 4Authorities. Cap. 549. S.L. 549.42 S.L. 549.42 Cap. 425.

(1) The competent authority shall be the Director responsible for Plant Health Services.

(2) The competent authority shall be responsible for the implementation of these regulations, the Council Regulation and the Nagoya Protocol.

(3) The responsibility of the competent authority shall include the granting of access to genetic resources through prior informed consent, issuing internationally recognised certificates of compliance, carry out the functions of the Member State under Article 5 of the Council Regulation and advise on applicable procedures and measures relating to these regulations, and the Council Regulation: Provided that the granting of access to genetic resources through prior informed consent shall be the responsibility for the assistant authorities for the following:

(a) the Environment and Resources Authority for wildlife, as laid down under the Environment Protection Act, with the exception of birds protected through the provisions of the Conservation of Wild Birds

Regulations;

(b) the Wild Birds Regulation Unit for birds, as laid down under the Conservation of Wild Birds Regulations;

(c) the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, as laid down in the Fisheries Conservation and Management Act.

Provided, further that the competent authority shall be assisted by assistant authorities and an Access to Benefit-Sharing Advisory Committee, as necessary.

(4) The assistant authorities shall assist the competent authority in ensuring that the implementation of these regulations, the Council Regulation and the Nagoya Protocol is in line with the other relevant sectorial legislations.

(5) Assistant authorities shall establish and maintain an inventory of the prior informed consents granted and which fall under their remit, in terms of these regulations.

(6) The competent authority shall each year compile a report on the implementation of these regulations. The assistant authorities shall submit the necessary information to the competent authority in order to be able to compile the report: Provided that the competent authority may request any additional document and information from the assistant authorities as reasonably and objectively justified:

Provided further that the information shall not be submitted later than the end of January of the following year.

(7) The report compiled by the competent authority shall include relevant information relating to the utilisation of genetic resources, the granting of prior informed consents and the monitoring of user compliance.