April 15, 2011

Source: Black Sea Biotechnology Association

Ministry of Agricultural Policy and Food of Ukraine has issued a decree "to strengthen state control over the safety of agricultural products and the presence or absence of genetically modified organisms in it." It is about identifying GMOs that are not approved in Ukraine.

As far as no event had been approved in Ukraine so far, as there were no applications submitted for registration, the order (see text below) means the total indiscriminate testing of seeds for the presence genetically engineered constructs. The Order does not specify any methods for detection/identification or sampling techniques, neither the threshold of random technically unavoidable presence (adventitious presence).

The Order as it stands now, can hardly contribute to improving any security issue or to the implementation of the Law of Ukraine "On the state system of biosafety in the creation, testing, transportation and use of genetically modified organisms." But it is definitely the source of technical barriers to trade violating Ukrainian obligations in WTO (TBT Agreement)

Ministry of Agricultural Policy and Food of Ukraine
ORDER

24.02.2011 Kiev
entering number 73 from 03.03.2011

On strengthening of state control of the safety of agricultural production and the presence or absence of genetically modified organisms

In order to strengthen state control over the safety of agricultural products in accordance with Articles 11 and 16 of the Law of Ukraine "On the state system of biosafety in the creation, testing, transportation and use of genetically modified organisms "

I ORDER:

1. State Inspectorate for Quality Control of Agricultural Products and monitoring of their market (Kirichenko V.A.) to increase state control over compliance with technical requirements, standards and other regulations related to safety and quality of grain and its products, observance of the presence or absence of genetic modified organisms (hereinafter - GMO) while moving the grain through the territory of Ukraine and implementation of export-import operations.
2. State Service for the protection of rights for plant varieties (Mel’nik I.I.) to strengthen state control over the conduct of examination of plant varieties in Ukraine, to prepare draft regulation on the registry of varieties of crops containing genetically modified ingredients.
3. Ukrainian State Seed Inspectorate (Khadzhimatov VA) to undertake appropriate measures to strengthen state control over activities of subjects of all forms of ownership and management in seed production, producing, harvesting, processing, storage, use of seed crops in order to prevent circulation and reproduction of seeds containing unregistered GMOs.
4. State Inspectorate for Quality Control of Agricultural Products and monitoring of their market, State Service for the protection of rights for plant varieties, the Ukrainian State Seed Inspection to ensure within the authority of a systematic monitoring of the implementation of state control and to monthly submit working reports to Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine (first day of each month).
5. First Deputy Minister Bezuglov M.D. to be responsible for monitoring of the implementation of this order.

Minister: M.V.Prisyazhnyuk

Website: http://www.bsbanet.org

Published: April 15, 2011