French civil society is pleased by the 11 September 2003 entry into force of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the only legally binding international agreement governing living modified organisms (LMOs) giving the precautionary principle operational footing. It provides Governments with a vital lever for action in terms of biotechnological risk prevention, notably in countries where legislation on this issue is weak. Now that the Protocol has entered into force, the hardest remains to be done-ensure its implementation. For this, the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol must, as rapidly as possible, define and enforce binding regulation mechanisms. There are numerous technical, scientific, legal and economic challenges involved, notably when it comes to identification, information exchange, and liability.
