Following the streamlining of biotechnology regulations in the fall of 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) have launched the “Unified Website for Biotechnology Regulation.” This website comes as part of the Trump Administration’s broader effort to streamline the regulation of biotechnology that was kicked off by the June 2019 Executive Order (EO) on Modernizing the Regulatory Framework for Agricultural Biotechnology Products. The website will serve as a tool for the public to better understand how biotechnology is regulated and provide researchers and innovators with a central location with resources to answer specific questions. Under the “About” portion of the website, for example, the public can find clear explanations of each agency’s role in regulating biotechnology in the Coordinated Framework for Biotechnology. Users can also submit specific questions to any or all of the relevant agencies on the “Contact Us” page of the site.
The website precedes other elements of the EO, which includes an international outreach plan and a domestic education campaign. These are intended to increase the acceptance of these technologies by both consumers and potential and current trading partners in an effort to ensure American leadership in the biotechnology industry.
Sources and Additional Information:
- The Unified Website for Biotechnology Regulation can be found at https://tinyurl.com/wcpu7me.
The Executive Order on Modernizing the Regulatory Framework for Agricultural Biotechnology Products can be found at https://tinyurl.com/y3xaaa7y