The People's Republic of China (PRC) continues to advance its agricultural biotechnology system for commercial cultivation of domestically-developed genetically engineered (GE) food and feed crops, specifically corn and soybeans. Since the last report, the PRC has taken steps towards commercial cultivation of GE crops, including the issuance of the first batch of GE corn and soybean seed production and operation licenses. Additionally, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) issued two new biosafety certificates and four renewed biosafety certificates for GE crops approved for import as processing materials and approved the country's first ever gene-edited wheat and corn for domestic cultivation. In September 2024, the PRC announced that genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs) can be used to produce new food raw materials, new varieties of food-related products and new varieties of food additives if the final product does not contain newly introduced gene fragments and GMMs.
On July 26, 2016, Côte d'Ivoire enacted its national Biosafety Law No. 2016-553. This law establishes the groundwork for managing genetically engineered (GE) products. While the country is still in the early stages of adopting agricultural biotechnology, the law sets forth the key protocols for approval, risk management, and labeling of GE products. Côte d'Ivoire is now also aligning its biosafety framework with ECOWAS standards, strengthening its own role within the regional biotechnology landscape. However, Côte d'Ivoire, notwithstanding the enactment of the Biosafety Law 2016-553, has yet to make fully operational the National Biosafety and Biosecurity Commission (CNBIOS), the country's biotechnology apex regulatory authority. Until it does so, the trade in imports of GE products into Côte d'Ivoire is effectively prohibited.
Maintaining Hungary's GE-free status remains a government priority. Although the country's scientific and breeding institutions were supportive of genome editing, the EC's legislative proposal on NGTs was caught in a political crossfire in October 2023. Hungary's National Assembly launched a campaign against the EC's "stealth" legislation. The incumbent Hungarian EU Presidency is also trying to reopen discussions on NGTs and find a way out of the deadlock situation.
This is a regional report on West Africa that primarily covers Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Mali, but also provides brief overviews in certain sections for Niger, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania. Legislative bodies in the FAS Dakar region, notably, at present, the government of Senegal, are taking steps to allow the entry and commercialization of GE products. However, public perception of agricultural biotechnology tends to be distorted due to disinformation. Future market acceptance will depend on efforts to inform and educate the public about the safety and benefits of agricultural biotechnology.
Serbia's 2009 "Law on Genetically Engineered Organisms (GEOs)" prohibits the importation and commercial production of genetically engineered crops. While Serbia's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management has prepared a more forward-leaning "Law on GEOs" amendment in 2018, the current Serbian government has not considered adoption of this revision. Serbia's existing policy on agriculture biotechnology does not conform to European Union (EU) regulations or the World Trade Organization (WTO) Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement.
Export prices of white and parboiled rice rose one percent from the previous week as exporters reportedly continued to secure the rice supplies to fulfill contract shipments.
Tunisia is continuing to postpone non-urgent matters in front of major political and economic reforms. As a result, Tunisia's biosafety framework, which was drafted in 2014, remains on hold with no timeframe for a review and parliamentary vote. Tunisia currently places no restrictions on the importation of genetically engineered (GE) crops. However, Tunisian agricultural biotechnology activities remain limited to building scientific capacity. No GE products have been developed or commercialized for local production. Tunisia continues to import agricultural products derived from GE technologies, particularly feed grains for livestock and poultry.
The biotechnology regulatory system in Ukraine is still not fully developed, but the country is gradually adjusting its domestic policies to align with European Union regulations. Currently no genetically engineered (GE) events are officially approved for agricultural and food production and the Government of Ukraine (GOU) does not permit the cultivation of GE crops. Therefore, no GE products can be legally imported into Ukraine, which restricts trade in some agricultural and food commodities. However, there are reports of unregistered GE production for specific crops. The GOU adopted a new law on genetic engineering (Law #3339-IX) on August 23, 2023. It will replace the current Biosafety Law in September 2026 and will harmonize procedures of government control over GE circulation in line with Ukraine's obligations under the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.
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