Strengths and Weaknesses of the Current Regulatory Framework

Abstract

The executive branch formally announced its biotechnology policy on June 26, 1986, in the form of the Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology (OSTP 1986), as reviewed previously and described in more detail in this article. The three lead agencies with responsibility for implementation of the policy were the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Since announcement of the coordinated framework, federal regulators have cleared the way for hundreds of new agricultural, health care, and industrial products, including dozens of plants modified through modern biotechnology.