A report entitled "Status of agricultural biotechnology and biosafety in selected countries of the Balkans, the Caucasus and Moldova" has just been published (July 2003). It was commissioned by FAO`s Research and Technology Development Service and the FAO Regional Office for Europe and addresses issues of agricultural biotechnology and biosafety in five Balkan states (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (now Serbia and Montenegro)), the Caucasian states (i.e. Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) and Moldova. For each of the nine states, information is presented under seven main heading: Profile of national agriculture; national agricultural policy; status of biotechnology research; ongoing biotechnology projects; applications of biotechnology; regulatory frameworks for biosafety of genetically modified organisms and intellectual property rights and, finally, areas requiring support. See ftp://ftp.fao.org/sd/SDR/SDRR/REUBIOSAFETY4-2.doc (Word format - 548 KB) or contact [email protected] to request a copy or provide comments on the report.

19/07/2003