Posted on 15th November

Government Responds To GM RC

The New Zealand government has completed its response to the 49
recommendations from the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification,
Environment Minister, Marian Hobbs said today. "The decisions reinforce the
government's acceptance of the broad outline of the Royal Commission's
strategy of preserving opportunities while proceeding with caution," Marian
Hobbs said.

The government has already announced a two-year constraint period on
commercial release while allowing strictly controlled contained research on
a case-by-case basis. Legislation will be introduced before Christmas.

Among subjects covered in the decisions are simplifying approval processes
for low-risk GM research to reduce compliance costs, amending the HSNO Act
to more appropriately recognise the Treaty of Waitangi, establishing Toi te
Taiao, the Bioethics Council, and research funding to understand the
impacts of GMOs.

The decisions (see details at
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0111/S00275.htm) are grouped under
five topics: research and controls in containment, constraint on release
and investigation into co-existence, food and medical, intellectual
property and overarching and structural elements.