NEWS

EPSO publishes its statement to the ruling of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on organisms obtained by mutagenesis (case C-528/16) stating that the ruling disregards scientific evidence.

Genome editing is not the only answer to current challenges of agriculture and society, but it represents an important tool for harnessing plant science knowledge toward a future-ready agriculture, for allowing Europe to play a leading role in innovative plant science, and to contribute to the bioeconomy by boosting the performance of underutilised plant species and biological resources. In the drive to achieve sustainable development goals, no useful tool should be neglected. EPSO supports a science-based change to the present European legislation and proposes to establish a legislation adapted to future technological developments by increasing emphasis on product-based risk assessment. Meanwhile, further tangible commitment is needed to support, inform and communicate about innovative plant science and its societal role.

EPSO publishes a first reaction to the Court of Justice of the EU ruling regarding mutagenesis and the GMO Directive in which European Plant Scientists express their disappointment on the ruling which classifies plants obtained by recent techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome editing as GMO that are subject to extensive pre-market risk evaluations. It is contrary to scientific evidence and as it stands now, it very likely will prevent the use in Europe of such technologies to address food and nutritional security and a more positive impact of agriculture on the environment. EPSO offers to collaborate with policy makers to develop an appropriate regulation addressing the issue of how a product of NBTs differs from those achieved with other breeding approaches to balance potential benefits and risks. See brief statements from EPSO members and partners on the ECJ ruling regarding mutagenesis and GMO Directive.

Access to Digital Sequence Information must remain open; calling upon the convention of parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), national and EU decision makers to maintain Open Access to Digital Sequence Information as part of the ‘Open Science’ principle and therefore NOT to include this in the Nagoya Protocol as this would substantially decrease the analysis and improvement of germplasm including that of plants from Developing Countries.

Welcoming the Advice of the British Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) on genome-edited camelina plants with increased levels of oleic acid, Opinion.

Booklet on New Plant Breeding Techniques in a new era in which Scientists of Wageningen University & Research gives new insights into plant breeding techniques such as genome editing.

Comment on the report of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Synthetic Biology: The report was commissioned under the UN Environment programme (UNEP), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). See here original report of the AHTEG and all submitted comments.