The European Commission’s proposal would exempt certain gene-edited plants created with so-called ‘New Genomic Techniques,’ such as CRISPR/Cas9, from having to be labeled as GMOs. Under the proposal, many of these plants would not in future be subject to health and environmental risk assessments, labeling, or traceability rules.
Critics, however, warn that the proposal represents a major capitulation to biotech industry lobbying from companies such as Bayer, Corteva, and BASF. They point out that independent studies have shown that gene editing can create unintended mutations with unpredictable consequences, making claims of safety and sustainability misleading. Opponents also stress that deregulation would strip consumers of the ability to know whether they are consuming GMOs, and farmers of the ability to prevent contamination, potentially undermining both seed sovereignty and the future of organic farming in Europe.
Resistance to the plan is already growing among EU member states. Germany’s agriculture minister, Cem Özdemir, has expressed doubts about whether the proposal respects the EU’s so-called ‘precautionary principle,’ while Austria’s agriculture minister denounced it outright, pledging to maintain Austria’s GMO-free status. The outcome will determine not only the regulatory future of gene-edited crops in Europe but also the survival of the continent’s organic farming model.
To read how Switzerland has recently said it would be extending its ban on cultivating GMOs for a further five years, see this news story on our website.
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News
The European Commission recently proposed relaxing laws on GMOs, exempting certain GMO plants from the EU’s strict GMO regulations. Gene-edited plants, for instance, would not be labeled as GMOs.
[Source: non-gmoreport.com]
[Image source: Adobe Stock]
Comment
The European Commission’s proposal would exempt certain gene-edited plants created with so-called ‘New Genomic Techniques,’ such as CRISPR/Cas9, from having to be labeled as GMOs. Under the proposal, many of these plants would not in future be subject to health and environmental risk assessments, labeling, or traceability rules.
Critics, however, warn that the proposal represents a major capitulation to biotech industry lobbying from companies such as Bayer, Corteva, and BASF. They point out that independent studies have shown that gene editing can create unintended mutations with unpredictable consequences, making claims of safety and sustainability misleading. Opponents also stress that deregulation would strip consumers of the ability to know whether they are consuming GMOs, and farmers of the ability to prevent contamination, potentially undermining both seed sovereignty and the future of organic farming in Europe.
Resistance to the plan is already growing among EU member states. Germany’s agriculture minister, Cem Özdemir, has expressed doubts about whether the proposal respects the EU’s so-called ‘precautionary principle,’ while Austria’s agriculture minister denounced it outright, pledging to maintain Austria’s GMO-free status. The outcome will determine not only the regulatory future of gene-edited crops in Europe but also the survival of the continent’s organic farming model.
To read how Switzerland has recently said it would be extending its ban on cultivating GMOs for a further five years, see this news story on our website.
Dr. Rath Health Foundation
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