Today, the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI Committee) voted on the legislative proposal on so-called “New Genomic Techniques” (NGTs) but many unresolved issues loom large.
“ENVI Committee vote leaves issues unsolved”
“This rushed legislative process to deregulate NGTs goes against the interest of European breeders, farmers and citizens. Today’s vote by MEPs in the Environment committee leaves too many issues about risks, patents and the right of farmers and consumers to avoid NGTs, unsolved. Instead of rushing into a plenary vote, MEPs should properly discuss how to protect farmers, consumers and the environment from risks associated to NGTs”, said Jan Plagge, president of IFOAM Organics Europe, after the vote. “Intellectual property rights attached to NGTs extend to genetic material and traits that can also be obtained by conventional breeding, and jeopardize the European model of innovation in breeding, based on the circulation of genetic resources among hundreds of SMEs. Claiming to address the patent issue with an amendment and a report is wishful thinking, but far behind reality. The only thing that currently protects farmers and breeders from legal threats from multinationals abusing the patent system to claim ownership over conventional breeding is the traceability and labelling system that applies to all GMOs including NGTs. How will MEPs explain to farmers that they choose to carelessly leave them exposed to patents and to hand over the seed breeding sector to a few big companies? Protecting the freedom of breeders and farmers to select their own seeds is a matter of European sovereignty that should be addressed before any deregulation of genetic engineering.”
“IFOAM Organics Europe welcomes that a majority of MEPs from all political groups voted to maintain the ban of NGTs in organic production, but traceability provisions and coexistence measures that go beyond the minimum transparency on NGTs in seed lots proposed by the European Commission, are still necessary”, added Plagge. “It is significant that MEPs rejected amendments on ‘free movement of NGTs’, as this shows that a clear legal basis to allow Member States to take coexistence measures to protect the integrity of organic and conventional GMO-free production is possible and needed.”
The result of the vote in the ENVI committee has shown that key concerns about this controversial legislative proposal are left unanswered – the inevitable consequence of a rushed legislative process. Therefore, IFOAM Organics Europe is urging a delay in the plenary vote, which is currently set for the plenary for the beginning of February. Extended time is essential for fostering depoliticized, cross-party discussions that adequately address concerns related to biosafety, patents, and the establishment of a robust framework supporting the freedom of choice for both producers and consumers. MEPs have so far maintained their voting calendar, even though a report from French food safety authority ANSES has recently put into question the scientific basis of the Commission’s proposal on the so-called equivalence criteria to classify a genetically modified crop as NGT1.
The Biodynamic Federation Demeter International, representing the biodynamic farming movement worldwide as part of the organic sector, also regrets the outcome of the vote by the Parliament’s Environment Committee on the New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) proposal and urges the Parliament to take the time to properly assess biosafety and freedom of choice. Alongside the European organic sector, the Biodynamic Federation Demeter International remains committed to not using NGTs in biodynamic production, as is stipulated by the Demeter standard. Therefore, they welcome the maintenance of the ban of NGTs in organic production. It is an essential component to protect and respect the choice of the organic and biodynamic sectors.
However, organic and biodynamic operators must be granted with the legal and technical means to implement this ban in practice. “The burden cannot fall on the operators alone but must be accompanied by effective measures providing them with the requirements to enforce their choice. To ensure the effectiveness of the ban, traceability measures for products containing or consisting of NGTs along the whole supply chain are crucial”, points Clara Behr, Head of Policy and Public Relations. The labelling of seeds foreseen for category 1 NGTs is a first step in this direction, but only grants a minimum level of traceability. Member States must also have the possibility to take necessary coexistence measures for category 1 NGTs plants and products, such as provisions for separation distances, to diminish the risk of contamination of NGTs in other crops.
More than 420,000 citizens signed an EU-wide petition calling to maintain risk assessment, traceability and labelling requirements for all NGTs
Beyond the freedom of choice for operators, citizens should also have the right to know what is in their food through transparent information via on-pack labelling for all NGTs. More than 420,000 citizens signed an EU-wide petition calling to maintain risk assessment, traceability and labelling requirements for all NGTs, showing that citizens remain concerned about the use of NGTs and prefer to uphold the precautionary principle.
This is even more important, considering the lack of scientific evidence guiding the distinction between category 1 and category 2 NGTs. The European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility and the French research institute ANSES both pointed out the absence of a scientific basis for the criteria laid out in Annex I of the proposal, which would impact the number of NGTs that must undergo risk assessment, ignoring the risks NGTs could pose to the environment.
“European policymakers must take the time to assess the consequences the NGT proposal would have on biosafety and freedom of choice. To this purpose the plenary vote scheduled for beginning of February should be delayed to enable a proper deliberation on the many issues comprised in the current proposal”, urges Clara Behr.
Further information available at www.organicseurope.bio and www.demeter.net
Subscribe to Bio Eco Actual Newsletter and be up to date with the latest news from the Organic Sector
Bio Eco Actual, International Organic Newspaper
Read Bio Eco Actual
