NEWS

First reaction on the Advocate General’s Opinion regarding mutagenesis and the Genetically Modified Organisms Directive, welcoming this as an important step in clarifying the GMO directive. EPSO awaits the decision of the Court of Justice of the EU foreseen for 2018.

Scientists call for GMO opt-in option: The EC should “develop a Directive for individual member states to authorize cultivating a GM crop in their territories after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that the GM crop in question is as safe as the organism from which it is derived” to overcome problems of the current regulatory system. Press release in EN, DE.

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.

Implementing the Nagoya Protocol by national legislation in the countries of Europe, statement, asking the European Commission and the Member States to support the adoption of uniform legislation across Europe for the exchange and use of Plant Genetic  Resources by applying the multilateral system enshrined in the FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). In this way these resources would be subject to the standardized material transfer agreement procedures, which are considered of key importance to sustain future research and breeding activities.

Genome editing: scientific opportunities, public interest and policy options in the EU, report launch in Brussels, Explanatory Note from EC’s High Level Group of Scientific Advisors