S
ince the Gene Technology Act came into force in 1999, GMOs have only received authorisations for field trial purposes according to extremely strict safety conditions and at a maximum of a few square metres at a time. Field trial plots must be fenced off, kept under continuous guard, and both the crop and foliage must be destroyed under controlled conditions and must not be marketed. During the past year there have not been many experiments on arable land. Field trials are usually conducted with genetically modified maize and these are usually strains that are resistant to broad-spectrum herbicides, the European corn worm or the western corn rootworm.
Data on authorised experimental releases can be found on the Hungarian Biosafety Website.
However, the European Union has authorised the import and marketing of several genetically modified food and feed products, which may also enter Hungary. The list of foods and feeds authorised within the EU is available here. It is important to note that genetic modifications must be indicated on labelling in order to provide the freedom of information and choice of the public.
So far, the European Union has authorised the cultivation of two genetically modified plants (MON810 GM maize and Amflora GM potato), but the cultivation of both of these is prohibited in Hungary.