November 26 2002, 13:02 UNIAN

Ukraine lacks legislative basis for bio-security - an expert

Ukraine lacks the necessary legislative basis for bio-security, Director of the Institute for Agro-Ecology and Bio-Technology at the Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Sciences Hryhory Petyukh said at a sitting of Ukrainian Educational Programme of Reforms.

According to him, Ukraine has no law which would provide for adequate measures of biological and ecological security.

"Now in Ukrainian Parliament there is the draft law "About Bio-Security" on preparation for the third reading. However, this document needs significant improvements, as it stipulates rather low level of control over imports and use of genetically modified materials, for instance, transgenic plants," he said.

He believes, this law should stipulate marking of food products (i.e. availability of information about use of genetically modified materials) and precise and transparent rules of control with participation of non-government organisations.

Besides, he said, even the available legislative base is not properly executed. For instance, it was just a week ago that local sanitary inspections received the text of the issued on June 25 this year order of the Chief State Sanitary Inspector of Ukraine concerning control over bread contamination with micro-organisms and prophylactic and medical measures to reduce such contamination by use of natural, biologically active means of treatment.

Mr. Petyukh also noted absence in Ukraine in current period the necessary coordination of activities between the bodies, obliged with ensuring the country's biological security - relevant scientific and sanitary bodies, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, Ukraine's State Department of Industry.