Russian parliamentarians will submit to the State Duma a bill, which severely restricts imports of genetically modified agricultural products, and completely banning their domestic production, RT reports.
This bill is an amendment to the existing law “On Safety and Quality of Alimentary Products”, which sets norms for the maximum content of transgenic and genetically modified components in food. The powers to establish that norm, go to the government and products with excessive content of GMO components should be banned for turnover and imports.
Evgeny Fyodorov, the author of the bill and a member of the United Russia party, said that it does not suppose a total ban on imports of genetically modified products, but imposes government’s control on it. He adds that the draft law will be introduced to the State Duma for viewing in two weeks.
The head of Russia’s Organic Farming Union, Yakov Lyubovedsky, believes that the passing of the bill would show if the Duma can defend the country’s independence and the interests of population. He also added that GMO was an experiment on humanity itself and that the industry could do very well without genetically-enhanced plants and animals.
He also noted that the limitations would create a threat of uncontrolled and dangerous spread of illegal genetically modified crops.
The bill will be submitted to the State Duma in two weeks’ time and its authors claim that its chances of passing are very high.