. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/NZL/3
12 December 2001
(01-6300)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   NEW ZEALAND
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry for the Environment
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   S R (Steve)
Vaughan, Manager, Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Group, Ministry
for the Environment, 84 Boulcott St, PO Box 10-362 Wellington, NEW ZEALAND.
Tel: (64 4) 917 7404. Fax (64 4) 917 7523. E-mail: steve.vaughan@mfe.govt.nz
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Any product that is, or
contains, a living genetically modified organism (GMO). There are exceptions for GMOs
that provide direct benefits to human health or animal health, and in accordance with theexisting emergency provisions of the Haza rdous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996.
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   H a z a r d o u s
Substances and New Organisms (Genetically Modified Organisms) Bill (7 pages, in
English)
6. Description of content:   Legislation to restrict, for a period of two years, consideration and
approval by the relevant agency of applications to release GMOs into the environment.  The
amendments will apply to applications to impor t GMOs for release, and to applications to
release GMOs from containment.  There are exceptions for applications to release GMOs
that provide direct medical benefits to human and animal health, namely medicines whichare approved under sections 20, 23 or 30 of the Medicines Act 1981, or approved under
sections 9 or 26 of the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997.  In
addition, the emergency provisions of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms
Act 1996 will still apply, enabling the emergency importation of live GMOs.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
To allow time for further research to be undertaken into the impacts of GMOs, and to
implement enhancements to the legislative framework governing release of new organismsin New Zealand, in response to the Report of the Royal Commission on Genetic
Modification.G/TBT/N/NZL/3
Page 2
8. Relevant documents:   Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (Genetically Modified
Organisms) Bill, Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, Report of the Royal
Commission on Genetic Modification 2001 .
9. Proposed date of adoption:  No earlier than March 2002
Proposed date of entry into force:  29 October 2001
10. Final date for comments:   12 February 2002
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:  S R (Steve)
Vaughan, Manager, Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Group, Ministry
for the Environment, 84 Boulcott St, PO Box 10-362 Wellington, NEW ZEALAND.
Tel: (64 4) 917 7404. Fax (64 4) 917 7523. E-mail: steve.vaughan@mfe.govt.nz The reportof the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification is available online at
www.gmcommission.govt.nz