DRW Monthly
September 2010
Issue No. 45

Eurasian Biotechnology Federation Established

During the 2nd International Congress-Fair "EurasiaBio-2010" held in Moscow this past April, an agreement establishing the Eurasian Biotechnology Federation (EABF) was signed. The central mission of the EABF is to build a cooperative platform that will unite scientists, industries, business owners and regulatory agencies in the Eurasian geopolitical region and beyond. The founding board consists of the following countries: Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, India, Mongolia and Austria. China, Slovenia and Finland also expressed interest in participating in the project. Once the Federation passes all the legal formalities, the leading bodies will be formed.

The EABF is the first non-profit and nongovernmental international professional biotechnology organization to represent the entire Eurasian region and it will be based on the Indian Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA) principles. Key signers of the agreement included representatives of Russian Biotechnology Society, Institute of Cell Biology (NAS of Ukraine), FABA, Biotechnology Centre of Kazakhstan, Mongols Institute of Sciences and GH BioQuenta Consulting EU (Austria). EABF's central goals are to promote and support education, training, research, development, innovation, industry, funding, investments and business in biotechnology.(1) The federation will also harmonize standards of biological safety.

In order to achieve its objectives, EABF plans to establish a working group to propose bodies responsible for the organization's administration, a central office for its legal registration as well as national and regional offices. Membership will be open to all organizations, companies and individuals involved in biotechnology and institutional members from all Eurasian countries. The Eurasian region views the EABF as an essential component in achieving sustainable development of bioeconomics and cooperation in the Eurasian region.

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