14 November 2001 Media Statement

Government completes response to GM Royal Commission

The 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 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.

ENDS

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