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Ethiopia approves biosafety law
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Sunday, 19 July 2009 |
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Addis Ababa, July 19 (WIC) - The Ethiopian government has approved a new Proclamation on Bio-Safety law to help regulate research and exploitation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), according to Africa Science News Service.
The legislation, which various environmental groups and local consumer associations have been calling for contains various regulations aimed at protecting human and animal health, and biological diversity, by managing and even totally avoiding GMO threats.
The draft bill drafted by the Federal Environmental Protection Authority (FEPA), was among agenda items.
The council's membership includes ministers, regional presidents and a civil society representative, Negusu Aklilu, Director of the Forum for the Environment (FfE) said.
"We had finished our part preparing the bill based on the international bio-safety law, with local characteristics," Dr. Teweldeberhan Gebregziabher, head of FEPA commented last year.
The Council, which was founded two years ago, and held its first meeting on April 23 last year under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister Addisu Legesse finally approved the draft bill and sent it to cabinet which endorsed it and passed it onto parliament. Parliament unanimously approved the bill last Tuesday in the final general session of the year. FEPA will shortly establish a National Bio-Safety Clearing House that will keep detailed records of experts that specialize in modified organisms in order to monitor their activities. The clearing house will also determine a list of modified organisms that have been rejected or approved for import and export and make the information available. The unauthorized importation of GMO foods was a concern for various groups, such as the Eco Consumer Association which advocated for a ban for quite some time. The new law says any transit, import and production should be done only with a written consent granted by FEPA. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 06 October 2009 )
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