Working Group Meets to Advance the Implementation of Legislation Regulating Living Genetically Modified Organisms
A meeting of the working group established to ensure the effective implementation of Georgia's legislation regulating living genetically modified organisms (LMOs) was held at the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture.
The participants discussed the practical implementation of the amendments to the Law of Georgia on Living Genetically Modified Organisms, the development of the necessary secondary legislation, and the measures required to ensure the Ministry's institutional readiness for the effective enforcement of the law.
"The Parliament of Georgia has adopted amendments to the Law of Georgia on Living Genetically Modified Organisms, establishing the legal framework for the import and processing of living genetically modified organisms—excluding maize, wheat, and grapevine—permitted in Georgia solely for the production of animal feed. Effective implementation of this legislation requires the development of detailed secondary legal acts, as well as ensuring the systematic and institutional preparedness of the Ministry's relevant agencies. Accordingly, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture has established a working group that is actively developing the necessary secondary legislation while identifying the key institutional requirements and priority areas needed to ensure full compliance with the new legal framework," said Nino Tandilashvili, First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture.
Under the amendments adopted by the Parliament of Georgia, the Law on Living Genetically Modified Organisms establishes the legal framework governing the import and processing of living genetically modified organisms—excluding maize, wheat, and grapevine—for the sole purpose of producing animal feed.
The legislation maintains Georgia's existing prohibition on the environmental release, placement on the market, and import of living genetically modified organisms. An exception applies only to those LMOs included on a list approved by the Government of Georgia and authorized exclusively for use in the production of animal feed.
The amendments also introduce mandatory licensing for such activities, strict safety requirements, traceability obligations for genetically modified organisms, and effective measures to prevent their release into the environment. Licenses will be issued only for LMOs that are registered in the European Union Register of Genetically Modified Food and Feed and included in the list approved by the Government of Georgia. At the same time, the import of living genetically modified maize, wheat, and grapevine into Georgia remains prohibited.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Ministers Lasha Avaliani, Lasha Dolidze, and Zurab Ezugbaia; Director of the State Laboratory of Agriculture Irakli Guledani; Head of the National Environmental Agency Elene Ghubianuri; Deputy Head of the Department of Environmental Supervision Neli Korkotadze; Deputy Head of the National Food Agency Zurab Lipartia; and heads of the Ministry's relevant departments.
