Genetically Modified Organisms Act 2004 (No. 3 of 2004).

This Act provides for control of the production and introduction of organism, the genes or genetic material of which has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally through mating or natural recombination. For this purpose it establishes the National Biosafety Committee and defines powers of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry responsible for agriculture.
The Act consists of 25 sections.
Section 3 defines the application sphere of the Act. The National Biosafety Committee, established under section 4, shall advise the Minister on matters relative to genetically modified organisms and shall publish guidelines and a code of practice, with the approval of the Minister, for all uses of genetically modified organisms (sects. 5 and 6). Persons wishing to develop, use, market, produce, release into the environment, transit, and import or export genetically modified organisms shall apply for a GMO permit (sects. 7-9). The Permanent Secretary may issue a Prohibition Notice or Stop Order in respect of developments or activities that may pose a threat to public health, animal health or the environment. Appeal against decisions of the Permanent Secretary may be had with an ad hoc Appeal Board appointed under section 16 by the Minister. The Permanent Secretary shall keep a register in which each GMO permit holder responsible for the management of any facility shall register the facility (sect. 18). Other provisions of this Act concern accidents, monitoring, labelling and identification of GMO’s and defines offences and regulation making powers of the Minister.