. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/NZL/161
11 December 2001
(01-6287)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  NEW ZEALAND
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry for the Environment
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable).  Any product that is, or contains, a living genetically modified organism
(GMO).  There are exceptions for GMOs that provide direct benefits to human health or
animal health, and in accordance with the existing emergency provisions of the Hazardous
Substances and New Organisms Act 1996.  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to
the extent relevant or practicable:  All countries
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Hazardous Substances and New
Organisms (Genetically Modified Organisms) Amendment Bill (7 pages) (Available in
English)
5. Description of content:  Legislation to restrict, for a period of two years, consideration and
approval by the relevant agency of applications to release GMOs into the environment.  The
amendments will apply to applications to impor t GMOs for release, and to applications to
release GMOs from containment.  There are exceptions for applications to release GMOs
that provide direct medical benefits to human and animal health, namely medicines which
are approved under sections 20, 23 or 30 of the Medicines Act 1981, or approved under
sections 9 or 26 of the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997.  In
addition, the emergency provisions of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act1996 will still apply, enabling the emergency importation of live GMOs.
6. Objective and rationale: [     ] food safety,  [     ] animal health,  [     ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  X ] protect territory from
other damage from pests   To allow time for further research to be undertaken on the
impacts of the release of GMOs, including in re lation to the entry, establishment, or spread
of pests, and to implement enhancements to the legislative framework governing release of
new organisms in New Zealand.  The legislation forms part of the Government response tothe Report of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification .
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:           G/SPS/N/NZL/161
Page 2
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Hazardous
Substances and New Organisms (Genetica lly Modified Organisms) Bill, Hazardous
Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, Re port of the Royal Commission on Genetic
Modification 2001.  The report of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification is
available online at www.gmcommission.govt.nz.
9. Proposed date of adoption:  No earlier than March 2002
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  29 October 2001
11. Final date for comments:  12 February 2002
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [     ] National notification
authority, [     ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:  S R (Steve) Vaughan, Manager, Hazardous Substances and New
Organisms (HSNO) Group, Ministry for the En vironment, 84 Boulcott St, PO Box 10-362
Wellington, New Zealand;  Tel:  +64 4 917 7404;  Fax:  +64 4 917 7523;  E-mail:
steve.vaughan@mfe.govt.nz
12. Texts available from: [  X ] National notification authority, [     ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  Mr Keawe
Woodmore, Coordinator, SPS New Zealand, PO Box 2526, Wellington, New Zealand;
Tel:  +64 4 474 4226;  Fax:  +64 4 470 2730;  E-mail:  sps@maf.govt.nz
This document has also been notified under the TBT Agreement.