Brazil To Map Potential Medicinal Plants
Brazil’s environmental agency IBAMA has created a research center which will set up a database of Brazil’s medicinal plant species in an effort to prevent their appropriation by ‘biopirates’ for commercial use outside the country. "The only way to discipline, order or effectively combat the illegal use of these resources is by learning all about them," said IBAMA President Hamilton Casara. To date, Brazil has mapped 300 medicinal plant species, thought to represent less than 10 percent of potential species. IBAMA estimates the global market for plant medicines to be worth billions of dollars annually. The initiative will also include sustainable development projects in some of Brazil’s remote communities aimed at providing them with an alternative income. The agency has furthermore enlisted 2,000 workers to help prevent plant and animal trafficking. For further information, see the IBAMA (Portuguese) website.
"Brazil starts mapping medicinal plant potential," REUTERS, 25 February 2002.
European Commission Proposal On Implementing Biosafety Protocol
The European Commission on 22 February released its long-awaited proposal on regulating cross-border movements of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which aims to implement the provisions of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety into EU legislation. In particular, the proposal introduces a notification obligation for exports of GMOs intended for deliberate release into the environment. It furthermore includes information obligations at the international level on EU practices, legislation and decisions on GMOs, setting rules for identification of GMOs for exports in line with its latest labelling and traceability proposals (see BRIDGES Weekly, 20 February 2001). Regarding GMO imports, the proposal only covers unintentional transboundary movements of genetically modified products, while referring to existing EU legislation for imports and intra-EU movements. A de facto European moratorium on the approval of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has been in place since 1998. The Commission is also preparing a proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of the Protocol aimed at ensuring its ratification by the EU. The Cartagena Protocol was adopted in January 2000 to ensure "an adequate level of protection in the field of the safe transfer, handing and use of living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology". To date, 11 of the 50 ratifications necessary for the Protocol to enter into force have been submitted.
"Responsible management of GMOs: Commission proposes EU implementation of Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety," PRESS RELEASE, 22 February 2002.
Codex Committee Discusses Traceability
The issue of traceability was one of the points of discussion at the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS) that met in Brisbane, Australia, on 25 February to 1 March (see also BRIDGES Weekly, 3 February 2002), based on a discussion paper prepared by the Committee’s Secretariat. Many delegates supported CCFICS’ involvement in this debate in addition to ongoing work in other Codex fora, including the Codex Committee on General Principles and Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology. Disagreement, however, persisted, over whether the use of traceability requirements should focus on food safety issues, as advocated by the US among others, or also on promoting fair trade practices in food, such as for organically produced food, as was argued mainly by the EU. This discussion resembles the ongoing disagreement between the US and EU on the EU proposal on traceability of genetically modified organisms (GMOs; see related story, this issue). The US does not believe that there is enough scientific evidence of threats of GMOs to human health to justify traceability requirements based on food safety concerns.
The issue of traceability had already divided delegates in previous Codex meetings, most notably at the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology (see BRIDGES Weekly, 3 April 2001) and will also feature at the current meeting of the Task Force (4-8 March 2002). The CCFICS instructed a working group led by Switzerland to prepare a discussion paper on this issue for its next meeting.
ICTSD Internal Files.
UK Commission On IPRs Brings Together Experts, Activists And Industry
The UK Commission on Intellectual Property Rights hosted a public conference in London from 21-22 February. In attendance were over 200 participants representing a wide range of views on intellectual property, trade and development. Among the themes covered were agriculture and genetic resources, and traditional knowledge and folklore. The latter theme is the subject of discussions taking place at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and is also being examined by the World Trade Organization’s Council for TRIPS. The Commission was set up by the UK government to consider how intellectual property rights (IPRs) can help developing countries and the poor. The Commission, consisting of five international experts, has held a series of workshops and consultations, and conducted several fact-finding missions to developing countries. It has also commissioned a series of papers covering a wide range of IPR-related development issues. In June this year, the Commission will submit its report to Clare Short, the U.K. Secretary of State for International Development.
Summary reports of conference are available at IISD Linkages or the IPR Commission’s website. Background papers for the conference and other documents are available at http://www.iprcommission.org/meetingsIndex.asp