Bulgaria's minister of environment could be fined from 300 000 to one million leva for allowing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to be grown within the 30km restricted belt around  Natura 2000 areas, according to an amendment to the GMO bill by passed by Parliament's environment committee.

The sanction, proposed by Deputy Environment minister Evdokia Maneva, had no precedent in the country’s legislation, but that in itself was not an obstacle preventing such a provision, the legal affairs committee said.

Under the provision, whenever there are suspicions that the minister broke the law, the prime minister would appoint an expert committee to investigate the case and submit a report to the Supreme Administrative Court, which could then choose to impose the fine, the lawmakers decided.

The same sanction would be imposed on companies that grow GMOs in the specified areas without permission from the environment minister.

According to experts, the introduction of buffer zones practically leaved no free land for planting GMO crops.

After heated discussions on the ban of the cultivation and sale of genetically modified fruits, vegetables, vines, tobacco and roses, MPs decided to support it with a safeguard clause, implementing a European Commission derogation that allows EU member states to prohibit GMO crops cleared by the EC. Such was the recent case of the Amflora potatoes of Germany’s BASF, approved by the EC.

Opposition MPs countered that this opens the door for cultivating gene-modified crops that have not been studied by the EC and field trials with GMOs. Parliament debates were expected to continue in the second week of March, when the bill was to be put for vote.

Source: Dnevnik