ACCESS TO GENETIC RESOURCES DEMARCHE

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000034

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR EAID SENV TBIO
SUBJECT: ACCESS TO GENETIC RESOURCES DEMARCHE

REF: STATE 269625


1. Econoff delivered questions, per reftel, to the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) point of contact in
Slovakia, Dr. Igor Ferencik of the Ministry of Environment
(MOE). Ferencik shared the questions with officials from
the MOE and the Ministry Agriculture (MOA),and they
returned the following responses.


2. According to Slovak Act Number 543/2002, regional
authorities must give permission to collect biological
resources in protected areas or for non-CITES (Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species) protected
species. In all other cases, collection is controlled by
the MOA under the auspices of Slovak Act Number 215/2001.


3. The Central Control and Testing Institute under the
control of the MOA has the responsibility to issue permits
for movement or export of biological specimens.


4. The MOE is responsible for mutually agreed terms (MAT)
and prior informed consent (PIC) procedures but has not
currently assigned any individual, department, or sub-
department the responsibility of employing MAT or PIC and
does not consider this topic a priority.


5. Ferencik expressed a personal interest in these topics
and stated that he has unsuccessfully called attention to
them at senior levels in the MOE. Nevertheless, he and his
colleagues still could not readily find answers to the
majority of the questions in the reftel.

THAYER


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