The rapid progress of modern biotechnology has given rise to new legislative needs in order to safeguard human health and the environment while at the same time taking advantage of the opportunities offered by biotechnology. Recent years have seen important new legislation being adopted and older law amended in order to respond to the new challenges. The purpose of this study is to indicate the extent to which international agreements and a small selected group of national laws may already be assisting societies to realize modern biotechnology's potential and avoid its possible risks. It reviews three categories of legal instruments at international and national levels in the areas of biosafety, food safety and consumer protection.