The Center for Environment has submitted on August 1, 2016 the Initiative for ratification of the GMO amendment to Aarhus convention [1] to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The GMO amendment represents an addition to Aarhus Convention. The amendment stipulates the inclusion of public participation in decision-making about the deliberate release of GMOs into the environment and placing GMOS on the market. So far, the GMO amendment was ratified by 30 parties of the Aarhus Convention.
"Ratification of the GMO amendment would show the willingness of Bosnia and Herzegovina government to harmonize domestic legislation in this area with international and EU legislation, but also it would facilitate access to information, increase public participation, and increase public awareness about GMO issues," said the coordinator of the Aarhus Centre Banja Luka, Viktor Bjelić.
Because of the importance of this initiative, it was supported by 23 environmental civil society organizations from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and the GMO Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"The final goal of this initiative is to ensure the rights of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina to be informed and to participate in decisions on the deliberate release and addition of GMOs to the market. This is the reason why we are ready to provide the support to institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to speed up the process," said the Centre for Environment.
The brochure which lists the facts about GMOs, the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the GMO amendment can be read here.
The campaign for ratification of the GMO amendment at Aarhus Convention by Bosnia and Herzegovina is supported by the GEKKO foundation from Germany and the Transition Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Czech Republic.
[1] The Aarhus Convention – The convention regarding the access to information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice related to environment was ratified in 2008 by Bosnia and Herzegovina after the succesfull campaign of the Center for Environment and other CSOs.
