The Malta Environment and Planning Authority organised a public consultation seminar on the draft National Biosafety Framework for Malta on Friday 3rd November 2006. The seminar was held at the Westin Dragonara Resort, St. Julians.

The National Biosafety Framework is a combination of policy, legal, administrative and technical instruments developed to ensure an adequate level of protection in the field of safe transfer, handling and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology. The document states the current situation and highlights what measures are necessary in order to achieve a complete framework.

This seminar presented an occasion for the stakeholders and the general public to discuss and provide feedback on the draft document. The Austrian National Focal Point on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, Dr. Helmut Gaugitsch, who is also the head of the Environmental Impact Assessment & Biosafety Unit in Austria, was also present for the seminar and gave a talk on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.