MOSCOW, May 26 (RAPSI) – Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers introduced a bill which contains penalties of up to two years in prison for violations of labeling of genetically modified foods, Izvestia newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The current legislation only stipulates fines for violations of the GMO labeling rules.

The bill would introduce a fine of up to 300,000 rubles ($6,000) or the amount of the guilty person’s wages for the past two years, or compulsory labor of up to two years, or a prison term of up to two years and, possibly, a subsequent three-year ban on holding certain offices.

Lawmakers also proposed spreading these penalties to producers who regularly violate the GMO labeling rules. 

A law adopted in 2007 required producers to label foods that contain over 0.9% of genetically modified organisms. In 2015, a fine of up to 300,000 rubles ($6,000) was introduced for violating these rules.

Discussions on toughening the requirements on the production of genetically modified foods have been underway for several years. The proposal to ban GMOs in Russia has not been supported because it would contradict WHO regulations, Izvestia writes.

In April 2015, the State Duma adopted a government-proposed bill in the first reading to ban the cultivation, planting and breeding of genetically modified plants and animals in Russia, with the exception of those needed for research.