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Dec 17, 2014
ASA Washington staff attended a meeting between the USBCA International Working Group and Administration officials who participate in the Global Low Level Presence Initiative (GLI), a multinational government group charged with addressing the adventitious presence of biotech events in commercial shipments. The meeting included representatives of USDA (FAS and APHIS), FDA, EPA, USTR and the State Department. Several agencies have raised concerns that an LLP which meets commercial needs would be inconsistent with their current policies, which recognize approved biotech events as substantially equivalent to conventional products based on scientific reviews. ASA and other organizations emphasized that these two goals do not need to conflict, and that commercially-based thresholds are commonly used in international trade, including for the presence of foreign material, grade standards, etc. The agencies acknowledged the need to address the disconnect between their policies and the need to facilitate trade to avoid market disruptions and a follow-up meeting is expected in January. The next meeting of the GLI will be held in Guadalajara, Mexico in late March.
