EPSO Young Plant Scientist AwardWinners are Shumei WANG (fundamental plant research) and Andreas CARSTENSEN (applied plant research). EPSO encourages the development of ideas and imaginative thinking in the plant sciences; Shumei and Andreas will present their research at the Plant Biology Europe EPSO/FESPB joint congress in Copenhagen 17-21.6.2018.

Position on the next EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, FP9, welcoming the continued inclusion of the successful Excellent Science pillar in FP9, and setting out our position for research priorities and mechanisms to engender a mission-based approach to close the research and innovation cycle through increasing support for collaborative basic research, encouraging increased levels of trans-disciplinarity and emphasising the importance of plant science in meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Opinion on the SAM Explanatory Note on New Techniques in Agricultural Biotechnology welcoming the science based view on applications and implications including risk and benefits. EPSO calls for urgent action to promote progress in plant science and commercial breeding in Europe to meet challenges for agriculture in due time. EPSO encourages the European Commission to develop options regarding the regulation of new techniques in agricultural biotechnology. EC Explanatory Note, 28.4.2017.

Synthetic Biology should not be confused with the application of new breeding techniques, updated statement, reemphasizing that the techniques themselves do not define whether an organism or product is of synthetic origin just by their mere application; and that a synthetic organism should be substantially different from any organism that can occur in nature.