Russian Lawmakers Want to Impose Criminal Liability for GMO-related Activities

Posted on May 15 2014 - 10:42am by Sustainable Pulse

Russian lawmakers want to equate GMO-related activities that may harm human health or even cause death to terrorist acts and impose criminal liability on producers, sellers and transporters of genetically modified organisms, the newspaper Izvestia writes in its Thursday issue.

Source: itar-tass.com

A bill to this effect was submitted to the Russian State Duma lower parliament house by the Duma agrarian committee and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) faction, who claimed that the government’s bill referred to parliament was too mild. The bill’s initiators say liability for GMO-inflicted harm should be expanded to state and local self-government officials. Under the bill, criminal responsibility should be applicable to companies and government officials only, while individuals should be subject to disciplinary liability.

The bill also provides for fines for concealing or deliberate distortion of information about environmental impacts of GMOs. Thus, individuals will be punished by a fine ranging from 500 to 1,000 roubles (14.5-29 U.S. dollars), government officials – by a fine of 1,000-2,000 roubles, and legal entities – by a fine of 10,000-20,000 roubels.

Kirill Cherkasov, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma agrarian committee, said that tough regulation should be imposed in the area of gene engineering, since imports of GMO-containing products had increased dramatically after Russia joined the World Trade Organization (WTO). He said that the State Duma would issue a package of amendments to the national laws regulating technical and economic aspects of GMO-related activities by its autumn session.

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6 Comments so far. Feel free to join this conversation.

  1. dawn May 15, 2014 at 21:51 - Reply

    I am finding more and more government involved in the health care of their citizens are outlawing GMO’s. This says a Great deal to our country who is buying and selling loyalty in the United States of America. It used to be that the citizens conversion this great country were our legislators concerns. Now we have to fight to have our concerns heard.

  2. michael folk May 16, 2014 at 21:39 - Reply

    some one needs to make a stand .they are solwly killing all of us thru the changes they have made in corn.

  3. Crystal May 17, 2014 at 18:50 - Reply

    Please post sources with articles like this. The skeptics want sources

    • Sustainable Pulse May 17, 2014 at 18:53 - Reply

      Hello,

      All of our articles have the source on them except if they are exclusive to Sustainable Pulse. This article also has the source mentioned please have a close look at the article.

      Best Regards,
      Sustainable Pulse Team

  4. Doug May 27, 2014 at 22:02 - Reply

    “The bill also provides for fines for concealing or deliberate distortion of information about environmental impacts of GMOs.”

    That part should be a lot scarier to anti-GMO activists than to anyone involved in biotech.

  5. Barbara July 29, 2015 at 11:17 - Reply

    Seriously, I would move to Russia……they have love and compassion for their people and their animals and mother earth… AWESOME RUSSIA…..RUSSIAN LEADERS ARE AWESOME <3

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