Debate on biotechnology regulation hots up

Four years after the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP) published a pioneering report on the deliberate release of genetically manipulated organisms (GMOs) into the environment, the Government has finally issued a response.¹ Its paper contains no surprises and, as expected, ducks the issue of civil liability for damage caused by GMOs. Meanwhile, industry pressure for a less restrictive regulatory regime for GMOs is growing, and the debate can be expected to intensify when a House of Lords report on the subject is published in the autumn.