The European Commission has proposed changing its rules on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), potentially paving the way for farmers across Europe to grow crops resulting from newer gene-editing technology.
The Commission decided its rules needed changing after a 2021 review concluded that existing regulation, which says genome-edited techniques should be governed by GMO rules, was not fit for purpose.
In its new draft (published 5 July), the commission suggested loosening some restrictions by splitting plants grown with new genomic techniques (NGT) – such as CRISPR-Cas9, which targets genes without necessarily introducing genetic material from outside the plant’s gene pool – into two categories.
The first covers those that could be created via conventional breeding, or grown naturally. Crops in this category would be treated similarly to conventionally-bred plants, and food produced with them wouldn’t need to be labelled as GMO.
The second group would consist of NGT plants with more complex modifications. These would be subject to more rigorous risk assessments, in line with the EU’s GMO directive.
Plants in this category would benefit from faster approvals if they are more tolerant to drought, extreme heat, or have lower fertilizer requirements.
The Commission said the rule changes would allow farmers to select from a wider range of plants that can tolerate climate change and attacks from pests, as well as varieties that offer increased yields and reduced need for fertilizer and pesticides.
IFOAM Organics Europe said the proposals were a “distraction” from the agroecological solutions Europe needed to make agriculture more sustainable.
Amongst its concerns, it said the rule change did not provide a clear basis to protect GMO-free and organic production with co-existence measures, nor ensure a fair distribution of risks.
The proposed changes will need to go in front of the European Parliament and EU governments before they take effect. They could also face further modifications before they are passed.
