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Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill:
The primary objective of the Bill is to establish a framework for a new, proportionate, regulatory regime for plants and animals that are produced using modern biotechnologies which could have resulted from traditional breeding or natural processes ('precision bred plants and animals'), and the food and feed products produced from these
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The key purposes of this new primary legislation are to:
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2. Remove precision bred plants and animals produced through precision breeding technologies from the existing regulatory requirements applicable to release into the environment and marketing of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms); this will be phased, first plants, followed by animals at a later date;
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These declarations of special measures are necessary to prevent the incursion of chronic wasting disease to the United Kingdom. These measures prohibit the import of live cervids and cervid urine hunting lures from countries which have reported cases of chronic wasting disease. These measures also apply additional certification requirements to imports of fresh meat of cervids from countries with chronic wasting disease.
These measures are therefore required to mitigate the animal health risk posed by CWD to the UK deer population and the unknown but potential risk to human health.

The instrument will amend England, Scotland and Wales (Great Britain) retained legislation (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072) and will introduce updated pest measures.
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3. Measure: Addition of the following viruses of peppers (Capsicum annuum) to the Annex 2 GB QP list: Pepper chat fruit viroid
Changes introduced by the measure: Pests added to the quarantine pest list will be subject to increased awareness raising, surveillance and action on detection within the United Kingdom to protect biosecurity.

4. Measure: Addition of the following various pests to the Annex 2A GB provisional quarantine pests lists:
Raffaelea lauricola
Raffaelea quercivora
Platypus quercivorus
Changes introduced by the measure: Pests added to the provisional quarantine pest list will be subject to increased awareness raising, surveillance and action on detection within the United Kingdom to protect biosecurity pending a full risk assessment.
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The UK Food Safety Authorities are notifying Members of the intention to authorise thirteen feed additives products for use in the GB market, consisting of new authorisations, modifications and renewal of existing authorisations
(...). These authorisations are made on the basis of the feed additive functions set out below, (...)
Zootechnical additive, belonging to the functional group of 'substances which favourably affect the environment' intended to reduce the production of methane emissions:
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Establishment of new criteria for refusal of registration for biological pesticides
Biological pesticides are (1) so-called "natural insect killer pesticides" (in the narrow definition), which are generally used with live insects that are predators or parasites (e.g., Insecta, Arachnid, etc.) and (2) microbial pesticides (viruses, bacteria, fungi, etc.), which may be used as pesticides, as Article 2, paragraph 2 of the Act provides that "predators, parasites or microorganisms used for pest control as described in the preceding paragraph shall be deemed to be pesticides."...

Notification of emergency measures: In order to fully guard against the risk of radioactive contamination of food safety caused by the discharge of nuclear contaminated water from Fukushima in Japan, to protect the health of local consumers and ensure the food safety of imported food, the Macao S.A.R. decided to suspend import of live and fresh food products, food products of animal origin, sea salt and seaweed, including edible fresh vegetables and fruits, dairy produce, fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates, meat and edible offal, preparations of meat, of fish, of crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates, birds' eggs, edible products of animal origin, etc., originating in 10 prefectures and regions of Japan, including Fukushima Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture, Ibaraki Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture, Niigata Prefecture, Nagano Prefecture, Saitama Prefecture and Tokyo Metropolis, from 24 August 2023.

The proposed Waste standard will revoke the current Inorganic Risk Material standard.
Major changes to the standard include the addition of offshore treatment providers and adjustment of treatment timeframes. There is also clarification of existing procedures and the widening of the range of commodities that can be imported (such as cardboard, paper, plastic, hazardous waste for destruction, scrap metal, and asbestos for destruction etc.).

The Ministry for Primary Industries proposes amending the import requirements for mangosteen and rambutan plants for planting imported into New Zealand. These pathways were suspended from all countries, and the WTO was notified in September 2023 because we had evidence that the biosecurity risks associated with these products were not appropriately managed. We have now reviewed the biosecurity risks and are proposing to amend the import requirements for mangosteen from Malaysia, and rambutan from Malaysia and Thailand. We do not have a risk assessment for plants from other countries and will be closing the import pathway from other countries. Details of the proposal are provided in the linked consultation page.

Notification of emergency measures: The letter introduces a temporary restriction on imports of all aquatic products, including the edible aquatic animals, originating in Japan in order to protect against risks arising from introduction of radioactively contaminated food due to the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima, Japan.

Currently, SFA subjects all GEd crops to SFA's pre-market safety assessment and approval for genetically modified (GM) food. Following a review of the regulatory framework, developers can submit information to notify SFA on GEd crops that are equivalent to conventionally bred crops, and be exempted from the GMO pre-market safety assessment.