Prague, Dec 28 (CTK) – The rules guiding the safeguarding of the substances that can be abused for the production of biological weapons against their theft and possible abuse are likely to change, according to a draft amendment the Czech State Office for Nuclear Safety has submitted to the government.
The draft halves the maximum fine that can be imposed on criminals to 50 million crowns.
The State Office for Nuclear Safety (SUJB) said the valid law is worded too generally, which allows different interpretations and consequently different attitudes to the safeguarding of the most risky substances from their theft and possible abuse.
Another weak point of the law is that it does not ban the financing of activities aimed at the development, production and trade in biological and toxin weapons, the SUJB said.
The draft amendment embeds a fine of up to 50 million crowns for the financial support as well as for the production or trade in biological weapons, which can be up to twice as high to date.
The draft amendment imposes a fine of 100 million crowns for a repeated breach of the bans set in law.
The amendment also extends the limitation period during which a fine can be imposed from three to five years similar to misdemeanours within the control of the existing ban on chemical weapons.
The draft amendment extends the range of duties to report the finding of a potentially risky substance. However, the person who finds it will no longer have to report it to the SUJB, but to the police who themselves will inform the SUJB.
“This aims at the least possible burdening of the announcer,” the the SUJB said.
The draft amendment also simplifies the authorisation for handling risky substances. It will no longer be required for work with their diagnostic samples if they are examined within 30 days, or if the substances are contained in vaccines.
