Published: 2013-11-04
Key Benefits:
SEIMAS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA
RESOLUTION
ON THE CONSISTENT STATE POLICY GOVERNING GMOs
11 April 2013
Vilnius
having regard to the fact that:
- impact of genetically modified organisms (hereinafter - GMOs) on the environment and human health can be real and has not been fully investigated yet;
- although cultivation of GMOs is limited , vast quantities of GMOs are brought to the member states of the European Union as feedingstufffs;
- member states of the European Union decrease GMO crop areas, labeling requirements become tighter, number of GMO-free areas increase;
seeking to ensure the proper right of Lithuanian producers and consumers to know about the composition and origin of consumed products,
proposes to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania to publish its position of principle on the restriction of GMOs as one of the major health, environmental and agricultural policy goals,
urges the Government of the Republic of Lithuania:
1) to define the legal framework (labelling, control rules) creating preconditions for manufacturers of food products of animal origin (milk, eggs, meat, fish, etc.) to voluntarily label their products with a mark 'GMO-free';
2) to initiate a discussion at the Council of the European Union about mandatory labelling in the European Union of products of animal origin derived using feedingstuffs containing GMOs or produced from GMOs;
3) to encourage the Lithuanian farmers to increase production of GMO-free soy and other protein crops;
4) to encourage the Lithuanian producers to refuse the importation and use of feedingstuffs containing GMOs or produced from GMOs, and to substitute them with GMO-free feedingstuffs;
5) draft legal acts that allow municipalities of the Republic of Lithuania to declare their territories GMO-free zones (which is valid in the Republic of Latvia);
6) keep the Lithuanian population informed about the benefits of healthy lifestyle and healthy food.