The prospect for international regulatory interventions in embryo transfer and reproductive technologies in the next...

Historically, international regulatory interventions in the area of animal reproductive technologies have focused on the need for mitigation against the dissemination of diseases with the movement of genetics and germplasm across international borders. The continued globalization of agriculture under the Sanitary/Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement of the World Trade Organization (WTO) ensures that disease considerations arising from third and fourth generation reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilized embryos, transgenics and xenotransplantation will continue to give rise to animal health regulatory measures. Furthermore, in the aftermath of the raising of the public consciousness and the ensuing consumer confidence crisis concerning animal husbandry and livestock production practices following the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy outbreak, evolving societal values are expected to expand regulatory considerations to address veterinary public health and ethical concerns. Consequently, it is expected that the role of the International Embryo Transfer Society in fostering meaningful dialogue and profiling of the research necessary to provide for appropriate science based regulation development will increase in importance.