In Brussels
This is yet another appeasement gesture towards European farmers.
The Strasbourg Parliament gave the green light on Wednesday to new category 1 genomic techniques (NTG). These make it possible to develop varieties more resistant to climate change, pests and diseases by modifying the genetic material of plants without necessarily introducing a gene from a different species and limiting these modifications to 20 maximum.
The result is a significant reduction in the use of pesticides and the promise of more robust plants, likely to strengthen the EU's food sovereignty.
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The proposal to no longer subject these category 1 NTG to the GMO regime (genetically modified organisms) was made by the Commission in July 2023, supported at the time by the former executive vice-president responsible for climate, the Dutchman Frans Timmermans.
“
New genomic techniques can give you the same result as conventional and natural selection or targeted crossing, but with much more speed, precision and efficiency
,” he explained.
The vote on NTG was very divided in the European Parliament, with 307 votes for, 263 against and 41 abstentions.
Among the opponents, the left and the Greens, who fear the dependence of farmers on multinationals.
Oppositions also regret that the words “from new genomic techniques” only appear on seeds and not on finished products.
After the vote of MEPs, the States must still decide on their position.