Ukraine adopts law on GMOs

At its meeting on Wednesday, August 23, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the law “On State Regulation of Genetic Engineering Activities and State Control over Placing Genetically Modified Organisms and Products on the Market.”

However, before the law was adopted in the second reading, it was amended to prohibit the cultivation and import of genetically modified corn, as well as the cultivation of genetically modified sugar beets and rapeseed for five years.

The Law defines the legal and organizational principles of state regulation of genetic engineering activities, ensuring environmental, genetic, food and biological safety of the state and state control over placing genetically modified organisms and products on the market.

Among other things, the law defines the terms “genetically modified organism”, “genetically modified products”, “GM products as food”, introduces state registration of GMOs, etc.

The adoption of the relevant government bill No. 5839 in the second reading and in general was supported by 276 MPs, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, First Deputy Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Taxation and Customs Policy, MP from the Voice faction, said on Telegram.

The authors of the draft law note in the explanatory note that “today the legislation of Ukraine in the field of GMOs is incomplete, there is no comprehensive and systematic approach to regulating this area.”

“The imperfect legal regulation of GMOs makes it impossible to exercise effective state control over the circulation of genetically modified products and creates preconditions for the illegal use of unregistered genetically modified products,” the document says.

In view of this, it is proposed to introduce a comprehensive regulation of the legal and organizational framework for genetic engineering activities through state supervision (control) over the use of genetically modified organisms and the circulation of genetically modified products.

The main provisions of the draft law provide for

• to delimit the powers of public authorities in order to eliminate duplication of functions in the field of GMO management;
• improve the system of GMO risk assessment for possible impact on human health and the environment;
• introduce European mechanisms for state registration of GMOs;
• improve the requirements for labeling of GM products and introduce rules for their traceability;
• to strengthen state control in the field of GMO management, as well as to establish liability for violation of legislation in this area.

As reported earlier, the Verkhovna Rada also approved as a basis the draft law “On Amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses to Strengthen Responsibility in the Field of Handling Genetically Modified Organisms.”

Tags: Ukraine, legislation, GM