As the first meeting on the implementation of the Protocol is going to take place in Montpellier (December 2000), important disputes exist between the various negotiating groups. The United States leading the Miami Group remain the major opponents to the agreement. Many arrangements minimizing the extend of the precautionary principle were made under their pressure, in particular the social and economical effects of introducing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are not much taken into account anymore. Meanwhile the European Union has made common cause with the developing countries by supporting compromise proposals.

Biosafety’s founding principles, to which the civil society is still attached, should remain the guideline of these negotiations: safety must not be subordinated to trade, this should be reasserted according to the precautionary principle. Uncertainty must be sufficient to justify a decision of market withdrawal. It is also necessary to clearly define liabilities. The assessment mechanisms and legal frames (positive European law and American jurisprudential standards) that will be chosen will determine the cost-sharing mechanisms. Finally, careful attention should be paid to the "details" of the implementation that will be discussed during the next two years. Even though non-governmental organizations are not directly involved in the negotiation process, it is important that they take action upstream and thus exert their influence on the regulation setting.

Clear identification of marketed products is certainly one major stake. The right for countries or individuals to choose in full awareness relies on full knowledge and monitoring at every stage of the channel in order to be able to withdraw the products from the market and avoid any long-term possible impact on the environment. Labeling, traceability, and prior information are necessary to establish liabilities. For a whole cargo, a simple mention such as "may contain GMOs" is far from being sufficient.

While 45 million hectares of GMOs are now being cropped over the world (they were less than 3 millions three years ago), and while the United States alone produce 72 % of the total amount, the choices concerning the world’s trade regulation should be openly debated. This special issue of the Courrier de la Planète is aiming to afford the essential elements of discussion by appraising the practical possibilities of ruling upon technologies that may have negative side-effects on health and the environment.