The Expert Group on Harmonization of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology instituted the development of consensus documents which are mutually acceptable among Member countries. The goal is to identify common elements in the safety assessment of a new plant variety developed through modern biotechnology, in order to encourage information sharing and prevent duplication of effort among countries. These common elements fall into two general categories: the biology of the host species, or crop; and the gene product. The first gene product chosen to be reviewed was virus resistance. The Expert Group charged a task group to develop a document that would identify information relevant to consideration of virus resistant crop plants specifically developed through the use of viral coat protein genes. The Expert Group identified two core issues that should be explored: the creation of new viruses through mechanisms such as recombination and transencapsidation, and the potential for synergistic effects when a transgenic plant is infected by other indigenous viruses.