Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers has drafted a law on state control over the sale of food containing genetically modified organisms (GMO foods) and its labeling in order to harmonize Ukraine’s legislation with Europe.
According to the bill, which was approved during a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, October 11, state control over the sale of GMO foods, veterinarian medicines and fodder with GMO will be conducted by Ukraine’s Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection.
The draft law forbids industrial production and sale of GMO and GMO foods before they are entered in the state registry as such. The import of food, cosmetic products, medicines, and food additives is permitted only after genetically modified sources have been registered by government agencies.
Food products, veterinarian medicines, foods and food additives containing GMO must be labeled in a prescribed fashion.
Produce containing more than 0.9 percent GMO must say on its label “This product contains GMO” with a description of the type of an organism, as well as information about this in accompanying documentation.
An explanatory note to the draft law says documentation must provide consumers with reliable information about GMO in food products, fodder, fodder additives and veterinary medicines in order that consumers can make an informed choice regarding these products.
The draft law was written for implementation by Ukraine of requirements contained in Directive No. 2001/18/EC, Resolution (EC) No. 1830/2003.
As earlier reported, 17 members of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada on October 6 registered draft law No. 7186 on toughening state controls on the sale of genetically modified products in Ukraine.
The bill provides for the creation of a single interagency commission on issues relating to the biological safety and treatment of genetically modified organisms. It would have grants of authority to evaluate GMO risks during the process of authorizing GMO pre-registration trials, state registration and revocation of registration.
The parliamentarians propose adopting administrative and criminal responsibility for violation of rules of genetically engineered activity and handling of GMOs.
