BIO, ABA Members Weigh in on Coordinated Framework

We are writing to express our appreciation for the guidance and opportunity for input provided by the Request for Information (RFI) on the White House initiative to review and assess the Coordinated Framework (CF). We strongly support this one-year initiative and its objectives: to ensure public confidence in the regulatory system and prevent unnecessary barriers to future innovation and competitiveness, while continuing to protect health and the environment. Meeting these objectives is critical, if the U.S. wants to maintain its position as the world’s agricultural leader.

 

We agree that the primary need articulated in the RFI – the need for agencies to clarify their current roles, responsibilities and coordination mechanisms – will serve the initiative’s two objectives. Clarifying their requirements and bases for decision-making will help people appreciate the rigor of the current U.S. regulatory process. Biotech crop varieties have been subjected to exhaustive study and analysis to verify food and environmental safety, and learning about the thoroughness of the testing process should instill public confidence in the safety of the biotech products on the market.