Political debate on plants’ gene editing resumes amid NGO protests

Political groups in the European Parliament will try to reach a deal on gene editing next Tuesday (16 January), while experts in the Council seek to untangle the controversial points of the legislation and NGOs protest in Brussels.

In July, the European Commission proposed new rules for innovative types of gene-edited plants, which currently fall under the more restrictive genetically modified organisms (GMO) framework. 

According to the EU executive, the requirements of the GMO directive – which dates back to 1999 – are not adapted to new techniques that could potentially lead to more targeted and precise modifications of plant genomes, to improve sustainability. 

These include pest resistance, which researchers hope could reduce the amount of pesticides used.

Centre-right MEP Jessica Polfjärd, the rapporteur on the dossier, is trying to secure an agreement between the political parties in the European Parliament. A first attempt failed yesterday, and a meeting with the shadow rapporteurs of the other political groups is scheduled for next Tuesday (16 January). 

Polfjärd’s aim is to see the draft report approved by the Parliament’s Environment Committee on 24 January.

Full speed ahead for gene editing as lead MEP aims to seal deal before EU elections

There is a possibility to finalise a deal on the EU’s plans on gene editing technology before next June’s EU elections, rapporteur Jessica Polfjärd told Euractiv in an interview, stressing this is necessary to equip farmers in the face of growing environmental challenges.

Among the most controversial points are labelling requirements for NGT-based products and intellectual property (IP) rights – which could mean that NGTs would be patented under GMO rules.  

The two topics are the most divisive also among the member states. 

The Council is holding “working parties”, at expert level, on Thursday and Friday (11-12 January).

Quarrel over scientific evidence 

Several farmer and consumer groups gathered outside EU Parliament on Thursday to call for an end to work on the NGT regulation, joined by left-wing MEPs.

The organisers pointed to an opinion published in December by the French health authority (ANSES), which said the EU executive’s criteria for classifying NGTs lacked a scientific basis.

According to the Commission, rules on NGT-based plants should follow a double track. Plants that are indistinguishable from those obtained through conventional breeding (category 1) should be treated like their conventional counterparts, while those with more ‘complex modifications’ (category 2) should be subject to stricter requirements.

The demonstrators refer to ANSES’ findings to argue that all genetic modifications should be reviewed to assess the safety of the crop, and called for the right of consumers to choose food that is free from gene editing.

MEP Christophe Cleargeau, the socialists’ leader in agricultural files, also sounded the alarm about scientific evidence. 

“The cornerstone of the entire regulation is crumbling,” he said in a press release issued on Wednesday, adding that  “this high-level scientific opinion (…) must lead to a re-evaluation of the entire text”.

Clergeau, who participated in the demonstration, accused Polfjärd of dismissing ANSES’s conclusions, saying she does “not work or answer” to calls from scientists and civil society to reconsider her proposal.

[Edited by Angelo Di Mambro/Nathalie Weatherald]

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