Brussels considers easing restrictions on genetically modified crops

The European Commission will present a proposal on Wednesday to ease the current restrictions on genetically modified crops. However, this proposal is already receiving backlash from environmental groups and left-wing lawmakers.

This proposal could become a new battleground in the EU’s Green Deal, with certain center-right European lawmakers seeking to delay its implementation, arguing that it would harm farmers.

The commission argues that the rules on GMOs need to be relaxed to facilitate the growth of crops that require fewer pesticides, are more resilient to climate change, and require less water.

The commission aims to permit gene editing within a plant’s existing DNA, which is different from transgenic techniques that introduce foreign DNA strands and create a distinct species.

EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides stated in April that plants produced by new genomic techniques can contribute to sustainability. The commission is designing a regulatory framework to signal to farmers, researchers, and the industry that these techniques are the way forward in the EU.

In this regard, the commission plans to reduce the strict restrictions that currently apply to GMOs, including authorizations, labeling, and monitoring.

The project document, seen by AFP, suggests that the existing GMO rules should not apply to genetically edited crops that could have undergone natural modifications or traditional blending procedures of plant species.

Such new crops would be considered “equivalent” to conventional varieties, while still being subject to conditions on the type and number of mutations, a publicly accessible listing, and labeling for the sale of seeds.

However, crops produced using these new genomic techniques would not be able to carry the “bio” label, and those with herbicide properties would not be included in the light-touch regulatory approach.

Crops that are pesticide resistant would remain under the restrictive regime governing GMOs.

Brussels has received 90 authorization requests for crops produced using these genomic techniques, with around a third being in advanced research stages. Some crops, such as corn in Belgium and potatoes in Sweden, have reached the level of testing in open fields.

‘Boost productivity’

Influential agricultural groups such as Copa-Cogeca have been advocating for simplified rules to expedite the sale of their products.

Several EU member countries and lawmakers in the center-right EPP grouping of the European Parliament also support this stance.

Spain’s agriculture minister Luis Planas, ahead of his country taking over the EU’s rotating presidency, emphasized the need to increase productivity and consider the limited availability of natural resources.

He intends to weigh the relaxation of controls on these genomic techniques against another EU text that aims to reduce pesticide use in European farming, but is facing disputes over potential reductions in crop yields.

The EPP, as the largest grouping in the parliament, strongly opposes reduced pesticide use and is also against a nature restoration law that seeks to repair damaged ecosystems.

Pascal Canfin, a lawmaker from the liberal Renew group who heads the parliament’s environment committee, believes the commission’s proposal on genomic techniques could offer terms for a compromise. He suggests that a combination of biotech solutions and the restoration of ecosystems can be pursued simultaneously.

However, left-wing lawmakers oppose the “GMO deregulation” and demand a systematic risk analysis, compulsory labeling, and the means to detect and trace genetically modified products.

Environmental groups are also against the proposal. Greenpeace criticizes it as “GMO deregulation” that undermines environmental safety, threatens bees and pollinators, and obscures information for consumers about the food they consume.

© 2023 AFP

 

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