Brazilian Ministry of Environment (MMA) issued a note informing that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defined this Monday, March 13, in a meeting at the Planalto Palace, the Brazilian position on the identification rules for exporting or importing shipments of living modified organisms (LMO).
The Brazilian President supports the use of the word "contains", plus information on its production process, transportation, and storage.
In cases of shipments without detailed definition on the types of transgenic products they contain, Brazil suggests the use of the expression "may contain," for a period of four years.
Brazil will present its decision during the 3rd Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Biosafety Protocol (MOP-3), in Curitiba, capital of the southern state of Paraná.
The meeting ends on the 17th. According to the MMA’s note, it has the objective to ensure coexistence in equal conditions of the productions of both genetically modified organisms (GMO), and of those not genetically modified.
The MMA says that a transition period was included due to the need of investments in logistics and systems certification. According to the note, LMOs that are internationally transported must have been approved by both the exporter and importer countries.
ABr