Czech Republic: Agricultural Biotechnology Annual 2017
The Czech Republic maintains a scientific approach towards biotechnology. However, 2017 was the first year that Czech farmers did not plant any Bt corn. This represents a change, where farmers had planted the genetically engineered (GE) corn for more than a decade but had recently decided that it was too difficult to market and sell. Updated legislation simplifying the administration of contained use of GE produts (“GMOs”), and transposing the EU Directive 2015/412 came into force on January 1, 2017. Coexistence rules were updated as well. The Czech Republic has not imposed any bans on GE crop. A new voluntary “GMO-free” certification scheme was introduced.
