Havana, February 15 (RHC)--Cuba has established a National Commission for the Use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Cuban agriculture. It will be chaired by the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment (CITMA).

Speaking at a press conference, the Science and Technology Minister, Elba Rosa Pérez, explained that this step responds to the progressive process of mature and responsible science and follows national experts' criteria and concepts of this issue at the international level.

Perez also said that there are the necessary safety conditions and mechanisms to make the GMO program sustainable, taking into account aspects such as food safety and quality for transgenic corn and soybean on the island.

The commission is made up of representatives of the Office of Regulation and Environmental Safety of the Ministries of Agriculture and Public Health, the National Institute of Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Microbiology, the National Office of Standardization, and the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.

It will meet every six months, in June and December. This year it will deal with implementing the GMO policy, the presentation of product evaluations, and future projections in agro-biotechnology.

The commission will also address an initiative for implementing the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and some socioeconomic considerations for decision-making.