Environmentalists criticize Russian Supreme Court's decision to stop cultivation of GMO in Russia
MOSCOW. Jan 21 (Interfax) - The Russian Supreme Court has declined a request made by a group of Russian environmentalists to contest the decision made by the Russian government on the state registration of genetically modified organisms (GMO), the press service for the National Association of Genetic Safety, which opposes GMO, reported on Tuesday.
The rules governing the state registration of genetically modified organisms intended for release into the environment and products obtained using such organisms or containing such organisms, which the Russian government approved in fall 2013, will take effect on July 1, 2014.
"According to Chapter 24 and Article 13 of the Russian Code of Civil Procedure, regulations can only be contested if they are in effect and that give some rights and duties to citizens and legal entities at the time they are contested," the Russian Supreme Court press service reported, citing the court decision.
In the meantime, environmentalists disagree with this interpretation of the article.
"It turns out that the Supreme Court suggests that we should wait for the moment when Russians' rights to health and safe environment are violated before contesting Decree No. 839 [on the rules governing the state registration of GMO]," Yelena Sharoikina, director of the National Association of Genetic Safety, said.
"However, I believe that we still have a chance to stop the cultivation of GMO in Russia until reliable information proving that these technologies are safe to humans are obtained," Sharoikina said.
According to earlier reports, environmentalists in December 2013 asked the Russian Supreme Court to contest the adoption of the government decree on the state registration of GMO.
On December 25, 2013, environmentalists and representatives of public organizations and scientific establishments opposing GMO asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to ban the cultivation of GMO in Russia.
In their letter, which was written following a meeting of the Public Chamber, the scientists and environmentalists called on the president "to ban the use of GMO and its components in food intended for children, the army, healthcare establishments, and the purchase of food for the State Reserve."
According to earlier reports, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in late September signed a government decree On the State Registration of Genetically Modified Organisms. According to expert estimations, Russia may get its first GMO harvest in 2016-2017.
In the meantime, the Agriculture Ministry insists on conservative policies on GMO.
"The position of the Agriculture Ministry is conservative. We are very careful about the broad dissemination, especially industrial production of plants and animals with GMO sources," Russian Agriculture Minister Nikolai Fyodorov told a press conference in December.
