Senegalese legislators have passed a new biosafety law which repeals the 2009 biosecurity law and establishes a process to allow the entry, research, and commercialisation of genetically engineered (GE) products in Senegal. The law went into effect immediately and will enable Senegal to comply with its international commitments and utilise modern biotechnology. The new law also differentiates the approval process for different uses and purposes, with the approval process for research being simplified compared to the process for commercialisation. It also reinforces the requirements covering information and public awareness and labelling and packaging.

The functionality of the new law depends on a set of implementing decrees that must also pass through an approval process. The National Biosafety Authority has drafted 18 decrees to expedite their approval and is working with stakeholders and experts to combine them into one decree.