It is a couple of months GMO opponents are widely referring to news that read Russia joins countries that have banned the import of GE crops. What is regulatory history on GMOs in Russian legal system?

Expert response from Natalia Bogdanova

Regulatory Affairs Consultant, Biotechnology Regulatory Solutions, LLC

Monday, 27/06/2016 20:38

Russia has developed legislation on the regulation of genetically modified products that started with the Federal Law on genetic engineering (#86-FZ) in 1996. A total of 12 legislative documents on GM food and feed safety assessment and control were developed and enacted between 1996 and 2010. These include regulations of registration for food, feed, detection methods and labeling.

The first GM product approved for food use in Russia was the soybean line 40-3-2 in 1999. As of the summer of 2015, a total of 23 genetically modified lines were registered: 12 lines of GM corn, seven lines of GM soybeans, one GM sugar beet line, one GM rice line and two lines of GM potatoes. Registered GM lines are being imported into Russia in accordance with local laws and regulations.

The Law #7 of 2002 on environmental protection, prohibits the ability to “produce, grow and use plants, animals and other organisms not typical for natural ecological systems or created artificially, without developing effective measures to prevent their uncontrolled reproduction, obtaining a positive conclusion from an ecological expert body and permissions from the federal authorities.” In September 2013, government Resolution 839 on environmental release of GM crops was signed to come into force July 1, 2017. At this time a regulatory framework to allow for safety assessment, including development of methodological guidance, is being developed.

Russia has strong support for biotechnology from scientists and the industry, as well as pressure from the opponents of biotechnology to stop development of biotechnology and claim Russia as “GMO-free” country.