BRUSSELS - The European Commission will launch a consultation process that will lead to a new legal framework for agricultural biotechnology. A study published by the EU Executive says so. "The study concludes that new genomic techniques can promote the sustainability of agricultural production, in line with the objectives of our Farm to Fork strategy," said Commissioner Stella Kyriakides.
At the request of the EU Council, the Commission has published a study on new genome modification techniques. The study shows that new techniques have the potential to contribute to a more sustainable food system as part of the goals of the European Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategy. At the same time, the study finds that current GMO legislation, adopted in 2001, is not suitable for regulating these technologies. In 2018, a ruling by the EU Court of Justice had interpreted the directive as meaning that all new techniques had to follow the same rules as GMOs. The Commission will then launch a consultation process to arrive at a new regulatory framework. "With consumer safety and the environment as a guiding principle,now is the time to have an open dialogue with citizens, Member States and the European Parliament to jointly decide the way forward for the use of these biotechnologies in the EU, "said Commissioner Kyriakides.