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The Biosafety Protocol Fact sheet released by the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs U.S. Department of State, January 11, 2000

The Biosafety Protocol is being negotiated under the Convention on Biological Diversity to address the potential threats to biodiversity posed by living, genetically modified organisms (LMOs). Upon entry into force it will regulate trade and other transboundary movement of products modified by genetic engineering.

Negotiations, which began in June of 1996, were suspended in February 1999 because it was not possible to reach agreement on several key issues among the major negotiating blocs: The European Union; the Like-Minded Group of developing countries; the Miami Group of major agricultural exporters (Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, United States, and Uruguay); and the Compromise Group (Japan, Korea, Mexico, Norway, and Switzerland).

Negotiations will resume on January 20, 2000, followed immediately by a high level meeting to adopt the Protocol. All issues unresolved at the time of suspension of the talks remain outstanding, and conclusion in January is uncertain.

Significant among the outstanding issues are how to address trade in bulk agricultural commodities under the Protocol, what identification requirements for shipping documentation should apply, and what the relationship between the Protocol and existing international agreements, including the WTO, should be.

Many of the positions taken by the negotiators on these issues would create considerable obstacles to trade, result in higher food costs, restrict technology access, and impede vital research without producing commensurate environmental benefits.

[End of Document]

Link to 1/11/00 fact sheet on Agricultural Biotechnology
Link to 1/11/00 fact sheet on U.S. Objectives for the Biosafety Protocol

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