The German Federal Environmental Agency had commissioned the Federal Environment Agency of Austria to organise the EU-Workshop “Monitoring of Environmental Impacts of Genetically Modified Plants” taking specifically into account Annex VII of the amendment to the EU-Directive 90/220/EEC. The European Commission (DG Environment) as well as the German Ministry for Environment,  Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety financially supported the workshop, which was held in Berlin on the 9th and 10th of November 2000. In total 103 people from 17 different countries took part in the Workshop, among which there were representatives of the Competent Authorities of the EU-Member States, representatives of the European Commission and of industry as well as scientists from different disciplines.