Brasília, November 13, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - On Friday (31), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sent along to the National Congress the biosecurity bill, following a prolonged debate within the government over authorizing the cultivation and commercialization of genetically modified seeds in Brazil.

Among the chief innovations contained in the project are the creation of the National Biosecurity Council, a body that will advise the Presidency in the formulation and execution of national biosecurity policy, and the composition of the National Biosecurity Technical Commission (CTNBio), which will be made up of 26 members.

The new law also strengthens the power of environmentalists and some strategic parts of the government, such as the Ministry of Environment, in decisions involving genetically modified products. The government wants to guarantee security in matters that involve biotechnology research, particularly those dealing with genetically modified organisms. (DAS)