Why regulate?
Regulation is the act of controlling or governing conduct in certain activities - in this case biotechnology. Some of the main reasons for regulation of biotechnology in New Zealand are to:
- protect human health and safety
- protect valued flora, fauna and the environment
- ensure ethical treatment of humans and animals in research
- address cultural concerns
- provide for adequate consumer information
- meet international trade and other obligations
- protect intellectual property rights
On this site "regulation" refers to two types of legislation - Acts and Regulations:
- Acts of Parliament (or Statutes) are the laws made by Parliament. They describe what types of things can and can't be undertaken in New Zealand, and what types of actions will be seen as breaking the law, what requirements need to be met for approved activities and what the penalties for such offences are. Proposed laws that have not been passed by Parliament are called "bills".
- Regulations (or Statutory Regulations) are laws made by the Governor-General, Cabinet Ministers and certain other bodies. They generally deal with more technical details associated with Acts (such as forms, fees and administrative procedures), and are usually easier to change than Acts.
You can find out more about the legislative procedure here.
Government Acts and Regulations can be found on-line here.
Regulation can also involve non-governmental controls. Examples are codes of practice, codes of conduct, industry and ethical guidelines and company protocols.
