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.
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