New GMOs, towards deregulation: the European Commission gives in to the pressure of the biotech lobbies

New GMOs, towards deregulation: the European Commission gives in to the pressure of the biotech lobbies

Current legislation on GMOs may no longer be suitable for new applications: this is the summary of a Commission study

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

The current legislation on GMOs may no longer be suitable for new applications: this is the summary of a study published last April 29 by the European Commission which states that it intends to begin a process of revision. Does deregulation begin under pressure from the biotech industry?





With the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy, the European Commission is committed to a radical departure from industrial agriculture as we know it today: in fact, with the objectives of reducing pesticides by 50% and organic farming at 25% by 2030, it is not possible to continue the path we are moving on today.

According to the Corporate Europe Observatory, this implies a crisis for leading companies in both the pesticide and commercial seed markets, such as Bayer, BASF, Corteva (DowDupont) and Syngenta (ChemChina).

In fact, these companies risk losing a significant share of their profits from the sale of pesticides and are therefore looking for a new business model, to look for in seeds. This is all the more true for German chemical giant Bayer, which has been in dire financial straits since it bought Monsanto due to the ongoing litigation over glyphosate in the United States.

Read also: Glyphosate: Bayer allocates $ 2 billion for future cancer claims

Indeed a work unveiled just last week by the Greens / EFA argues that new techniques also operate one genetic manipulation, therefore also new GMOs should be included in the existing legislation on traditional GMOs, subjecting themselves to the same strict rules on authorization and labeling.

"To have new GMO seeds without regulatory control, but still patented, it would certainly serve this purpose "clearly writes the non-profit research group whose declared aim is" to unmask the effects of corporate pressures on EU decision-making processes "

The biotech industry is waging a battle to exclude its new generation of genetic modification techniques from European GMO regulations, which could lead to deregulation of plants, animals and microorganisms, made using genetic techniques such as CRISPR-Cas, which could no longer be subject to safety controls, consumer monitoring or labeling or in any case less stringent controls.



The Corporate Europe Observatory reports that it has discovered several new tactics used by the biotech industry to pave the way for such deregulation: according to the group, officials from national ministries were carefully selected for joint strategic meetings with lobbyists.

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But what does the European Commission say? Are we really facing an enormous danger?

Lo "indicted" study, published on April 29, confirms that the new genomic techniques (NGT) are able to alter the genetic material of an organism, specifying to refer to those that emerged or developed after 2001, when the current legislation on organisms was adopted. genetically modified (GMO).

As the Commission writes, the work gathered information and views on the status and use of new genomic techniques in plants, animals and microorganisms for agri-food, industrial and pharmaceutical applications, and was conducted in the Member States and in particular through a consultation of the stakeholders at EU level, further supported by expert input on specific aspects of safety, test methods and technological and market developments.

And it is precisely about this consultation that doubts emerge

“DG SANTE clearly has listened to the biotech lobby more than anyone else - denounces Nina Holland, researcher at the Corporate Europe Observatory - Her study on new GMOs is another example of capture by businesses of the EU decision-making process. This began precisely with the extremely partial consultation of the interested parties of the Commission which fueled this study, favoring the voices of the sector ”.

Indeed, the study makes it clear that organisms obtained through new genomic techniques are subject to GMO legislation. However, developments in biotechnology, combined with a lack of definition (or clarity on the meaning) of key terms, continue to raise ambiguity in the interpretation of some concepts, potentially leading to regulatory uncertainty.



“NGTs and their products have developed rapidly over the past two decades in many parts of the world - reads the Executive Summary - with some applications already on the market and more applications in various sectors expected in the coming years. […] Following the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), they have been reported negative impacts on public and private research on new genomic techniques in the EU due to current regulation".

So that there is an intention to review the current legislation appears clear.

"Many of the plant products obtained by NGT have the potential to contribute to the objectives of the EU Green Deal and in particular of the Farm to Fork Strategy, to those for biodiversity and Sustainable Development (SDG) of the United Nations for a more resilient agri-food sector - declares the EU - Examples include plants more resistant to diseases and environmental conditions and climate change in general, better agronomic or nutritional characteristics, reduced use of agricultural products such as plant protection products and faster selection of plants ”.

And the organic? Forgotten?

“However, some stakeholders believe these benefits are hypothetical and achievable through i means other than biotechnology - the report continues - In particular, as reported by the organic and GMO-free sector, these could face threats from coexistence with new genomic techniques and, therefore, consider NGT products outside the scope of the current regulatory framework on GMOs would inflict a severe blow to their value chain, risking damage to consumer confidence in their sector ”.

Read also: The law on organic has finally been approved (and the proposal to "reopen" to GMOs does not pass)

We therefore remain on a tightrope, waiting to understand which of the markets in crisis, therefore, will prevail.

Sources of reference: Corporate Europe Observatory / European Commission / Greens / EFA

Read also:

  • Eating organic: the benefits backed up by scientific research
  • The European Commission has authorized 5 new GMOs for food and feed
  • Victory! Mexico is the first country in the Americas to ban GMO corn and glyphosate   
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