Today the EU's agriculture ministers challenged the Spanish presidency's proposal to widely deregulate the new generation of genetically modified plants (new GMOs, or now so-called "new genomic techniques" or NGT). The ministers' evident lack of support is a warning to lawmakers that excluding new GMOs from the current EU GMO rules would flood European fields with patented new GM seeds and increase monopolies in the farming sector. Mute Schimpf, food campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe, said: “Agriculture ministers hit the brakes on the deregulation of new GMOs, rightfully prioritising farmer, consumer, and environmental concerns. Today's outcome is a relief for nature protection, our right to transparency, our right to know what we buy and eat, and our freedom of choice." Friends of the Earth Europe now calls on members of the European Parliament to reject the Commission’s legislative proposal. Both the EU Council and the EU Parliament will have a say on the final law in the coming months. GMWatch

 

 

In response to the EU Agricultural Council outcome (above), Heike Moldenhauer, Secretary General of the non-GMO industry association ENGA, said: “It is clear that many Member States are not content with the proposed deregulation of New GMOs – they have serious concerns with the text and what it will mean for the agriculture and food sectors in their countries and for their citizens. We will continue to fight for our right to conduct GMO-free business and the necessary means we need to do so: traceability, labelling and detection methods for all NGTs (category 1 and category 2) and for all NGT products (seeds, feed, food, other products), as well as EU-wide legally binding coexistence measures to avoid contamination of GMO-free agriculture and food production.” ENGA

 

 

Among the main bones of contention from Member States on the Spanish presidency's proposal (above) were coexistence between organic production and conventional, as well as concerns over the handling of patents, a sticky subject that the Commission’s original proposal fails to address. Meanwhile, several ministers also raised concerns over the lack of clear traceability and labelling requirements. Welcoming the decision, EU organics association IFOAM gave a nod to agriculture ministers for “recognising EU breeders’ and farmers’ protection from patents and the monopolisation of genetic resources”. Greenpeace’s GMO campaigner Eva Corral said it was “encouraging” that countries did not reach an agreement on what she considers an “unacceptable” proposal. “European countries must now proceed with negotiations to achieve that all new GMOs are safety checked, traceable and labelled. This will ensure a high level of protection for human health and the environment, and transparency for consumers and economic operators,” she said. Arc2020

 

 

In a December 8 press release, the American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) announced that it was withdrawing support for the "Darling 58" genetically engineered American chestnut tree "for several pending regulatory petitions that would authorise distribution of transgenic Darling trees outside permitted research plots". TACF cited "significant performance limitations that, from TACF’s perspective, make it unsuitable as a restoration tree". TACF said: "Throughout 2023, TACF and its partners observed disappointing performance results from broad scale field and greenhouse tests of advanced-generation Darling trees across several different geographic locations at external testing facilities. As discussed in the September 15, 2023 episode of the Foundation’s webinar series, Chestnut Chat, analysis indicated striking variability in Darling trees’ blight tolerance, significant losses in growth competitiveness, and increased mortality." GMWatch

 

 

If you're in the UK, you only have until 8 January to tell the Food Standards Agency what you think of its plans to remove regulations from genetically modified "precision bred organisms" in the food system. See Beyond GM's guidance for the online consultation form. Beyond GM

 

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