According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) report, Poland’s Environment Ministry has published for public comment a draft law on the cultivation of agricultural biotechnology crops. The law attempts to comply with European Union regulatory authorities that have told Poland it must update its GM law. The law also updates the provisions for conducting experimental research with plants and transgenic modification. The major provisions include:

• Farmers’ plantings would be dependent on approval of local authorities who would be allowed to create “GMO free zones”. In such zones planting GM crops, even an approved variety would be prohibited, with penalty of US$9,000 plus US$1400 per hectare.
• A deposit to cover any potential legal suits in cases of dealing with a list of products classified as, “the most dangerous organisms” must be paid before planting. GM products should be labeled. Products which are meant to be processed and have modified organisms in amount not over 0.9% should not be marked.
• Research institutes should arrange a proposal before planting GM crops, with all information and documents needed at every stage. Any scientific research unit wanting to conduct research planting will be obligated to make the results of their research available to the public.
• Research institutes and farms should inform employees about the content of safety regulations; workers must sign a statement that they have been informed that they are working with GMOs.

The report can be downloaded at http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200808/146295592.pdf.