Support the Implementation of the National Biosafety Framework

The main purpose of this project would be to help Estonia to strengthen the existing institutional and technical structures and infrastructures needed to meet the obligations of the Protocol and have a National Biosafety Framework fully operational by: - completing drafting the legislation (Amendments of GMO Act) and secondary legislative acts under the responsibility of Ministry of Environment (MOE) (secondary legislation: regulation on processing applications coming from other EU member states, on establishment and maintaining of GMO register, on obligations of importers and on state monitoring and surveillance) and non-binding guidelines and manuals to meet the obligations under CPB (risk assessment and management, monitoring). Adopt and implement these legislative acts and non-binding guidelines; - the strengthening of appropriate institutional structures for risk assessment and decision making; - inclusion of GMO policy into agricultural policy, especially in the light of coexistence; environmental policy and biotechnology policy; - Train relevant people to handle requests (under advisory bodies and technical personnel in labs) and make decisions (under competent authorities), including scientific, technical and legal training; - Enhance monitoring and surveillance system; - Strengthen existing infrastructures (laboratory in TTU) and equip it appropriately so as to ensure good quality of GMO detection and suveillance; and - Enhance public awareness (in all levels, starting with wider public and ending with governmental higher officials) and promote information exchange.