Bioprospecting Wild Biodiversity in Romania: Case Study - Gentiana lutea

The scope of this article is to discuss critical points in developing a bioprospecting protocol for Romania under the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity that entered into force in October 2014. By taking as a case study Gentiana lutea L., (yellow gentian) an endangered plant species of pharmaceutical importance, listed in the Annex D of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), our study reveals that bioprospecting is not officially implemented in our country. However, for ensuring the conservation of biodiversity as a whole it is needed to further strengthen and harmonize all legal provisions among international treaties such as CITES, Nagoya Protocol and Multilateral System adopted under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture or Plant Treaty.