It may be using an anvil to kill an ant, but it will certainly control the explosive growth of what is, in my opinion, snake-oil genetic testing (nutrigenomics, cosmetogenomics), and testing in individuals of GWAS identified "risk" alleles.

There is nothing wrong requiring that testing is prescribed by a doctor, of course with the consent of the patient (consumer, rather), and that the testing is done in a certified laboratory. There is more than just one country on the list where "Direct to Customers" genomic testing was outlawed at the beginning - and concluded in the same requirements.

Just one year ago, the State of California issued a "cease and desist" order to DCT. At least for six weeks or so. Then, the ban was suddenly overturned when some influential movers & shakers may have had poised the question to Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Governator of California; so your government would rather pick up the hefty health-care bill rather than allowing DTC genome-based prevention - that costs the government nothing?

The answer must have been obvious - as it is outlined today by David Ewing Duncan in MIT Technology Times; see comments here.

Likewise, even the Medical Association of the country featured here has warned that the law might lead to “medical tourism”, with people trying to get genetic testing done abroad.

Not only Reykjavik is there, but it is most unlikely that either nearby Holland or the UK will legislate against the business opportunity of the Genome Based Economy.

Actually, it has both been predicted by Juan Enriquez as early as 2001 in his bestseller "As the future catches you" that with Genomics (just as at earlier times, Digital) would make Countries and regions either rise or fall, depending on if/how they answer the ZeitGeist - and an occasional opposition actually triggers even more innovative progress.

In this case, innovation is the Personal Genome Computer, that fresh start-ups like HolGenTech are rolling out. The business model is simple, and is impossible to hinder: Everybody has a personal DNA that is his/her ultimate possession. You can get it sequenced; if all fails, China will gladly pick up the lucrative global business. With your genome on a stick, nobody can prevent you from buying a Personal Genome Computer - robust enough to rake your genome in the privacy of your home; if in your Country such branding is forbidden, we'll call it there Game Computer for it doubles with its parallel capabilities, excellent for fast-paced graphical games, including both entertaining and educational genome-games. For instance, two consenting adults putting in the stick and see how their children in the future might look like from baby stage to adults ... incidentally checking if there is something to watch for - before recombining their DNA.

Likewise, nobody can forbid you to obtain the suitable software. If certain brands are blacklisted, will call it "ACTG language analyzer" and market them through third parties. There are computer activities that can be legally prohibited (e.g. child pornography) - but your analysis has nothing to do with that - ant since it does not need internet connection, your IP can not be spotted. Moreover since your DNA legally can not be tested (if you live in one of those regions) nobody can prove in court that the bunch of data that you are analyzing is actually your DNA... Let the judiciary figure out how your DNA is different from Drs. Watson' or Venter'...

Thank you for boosting our business,

pellionisz_at_junkdna.com

There is already plenty of snake-oil that is perfectly legal (Bach flower therapy, homeopathy, vitamines, the list is endless...) and wastes much more money than the few people that have their SNPs sequenced. It eradicates right from the start a promising field that is certainly not yet up to the expectations of most consumers but might become it. The German government does not want to give a new technology the benefit of the doubt first to evaluate later if it might be useful. They kill the idea right away.

The title of the article is already rather condescending with the word "Nein" used in the sense of "It's those Gerries again, still up to their old tricks".

Use this when lobbying:
In case all else fails blame the government.
All new thins are always good.
There are no negative aspects.
Don't hassle companies.
Regulation kills beneficial new developments.
And two most important lobby tools:
Reservation to new things is always paranoia.
If you are not for this, you risk your own well being.

A lot of swamp land has been sold, with this kind of reverse fear mongering by lobbyists. Remember all those security features that were introduced after 11 September? Huge invasion of privacy. Non reversible. Most of them failing completely in doing what they were implemented for (as was warned for in advance by those "paranoids").
The only winners in this thing were the companies peddling that junk.

It is very likely that not all genetic testing is rubbish and the good should be able to proceed but that can only happen when the bad gets weeded out. Enter reservation and regulation.

Germany does right in being very cautious in this matter. The insurance companies already have way more power than they ought to. They don't need another tool to keep their customers from receiving care. Insurance companies... mmmmmmm; now there's a lot of money to be saved and improvements to be made that are beneficiary for the people.