Regulation of Genetically Modified Organisms in the European Union

To be successful, laws that regulate genetically modified organisms (GMOs) must help society decide rationally when to pause and when to proceed in adopting new biotechnological developments. In the context of European Union (EU) institutions and lawmaking procedures, this article examines European Community (EC) legal measures that govern the contained use, deliberate release, and labeling of GMOs. To illustrate Member State implementation of EC measures, the article focuses more briefly on regulation of GMOs in England. It highlights the controversy about GMOs in Member States and reveals some of the differences between U.S. and EU attitudes toward GMOs and genetically modified products.