U.K. panel urges gene modification protocol

Abstract

An independent advisory panel has warned the British government that failure to establish new rules to govern biotechnology and genetic modification of plants and animals could lead to environmental problems on a scale comparable with those caused by chloro-fluorocarbons, asbestos, pesticides, and thalidomide. The report by the British Government Panel on Sustainable Development calls on the government to take urgent steps to secure a comprehensive international protocol for handling and use of genetically modified organisms. The panel, chaired by Sir Crispin Tickell, head of Green College, Oxford, was appointed by Prime Minister John Major in January 1994 to provide independent advice on strategic issues relating to climate change, biodiversity, and forestry. Major is expected to respond publicly to the panel's recommendations at the end of March. The panel points out that genetic modification may lead to major advances in medicine, agriculture, and the health of the environment. But it urges the governm...