A committee at the Federal National Council discusses a draft amendment to some laws to enhance reproductive rates in the country

The Health and Environmental Affairs Committee of the Federal National Council, during its virtual meeting held today, Monday, headed by Sumaya Abdullah Al Suwaidi, Chairperson of the Committee for this meeting, discussed a draft federal law amending some federal laws, and a draft report on the subject of government policy regarding enhancing reproductive rates in the country.

The meeting was attended by members of the committee, members of the Federal National Council: Muhammad Hassan Al-Dhahouri, the committee’s rapporteur for this meeting, and Naima Abdullah Al-Sharhan.
According to the explanatory memorandum received from the government regarding the draft law, in light of the issuance of Federal Decree Law No. (28) of 2023 establishing the Emirates Pharmaceutical Corporation, which entrusted the corporation with the exercise of powers related to the affairs of fertilizers and agricultural conditioners, veterinary preparations, and biosafety of genetically modified organisms and pesticides, It was proposed to amend the relevant federal laws, so that the Emirates Drug Corporation would be the federal authority concerned with those laws, which are:

Federal Law No. (39) of 1992 regarding the production, import and circulation of fertilizers and agricultural conditioners, Federal Law No. (9) of 2017 regarding veterinary preparations, Federal Law No. (9) of 2020 regarding biosafety of genetically modified organisms and their products, and Federal Law No. ( 10) of 2020 regarding pesticides.

The draft law consists of (4) articles that included replacing the entities mentioned in those laws by the Emirates Drug Corporation, amending some definitions, the provision related to cancellations, and the provision related to publishing the law and implementing it.

During its meeting, the committee also reviewed a draft report on the topic of the government’s policy regarding enhancing reproductive rates in the country, and discussed the outcomes of the seminar that was recently organized to involve the public in the topic and take their opinions and suggestions. It reviewed the policies and legislation related to women’s work and the extent to which balance between work and family life is achieved. And the experiences of some countries in balancing work and family life, and awareness and education programs to enhance the fertility rate.

The committee discusses the government’s policy regarding enhancing reproductive rates in the country according to axes: The role of legislation in enhancing the reproductive rate in the country, the state’s policies and strategies regarding enhancing reproductive rates, and the economic and social factors of the reproductive rate in the country.