In the submission to the DG SANTE public consultation on plants produced by NGTs, EPSO reiterated previous positions and pointed out that:

  • In relation to NGTs, the current biosafety legislation is no longer fit for purpose and needs adaptation to scientific and technological progress.
  • Since there is no difference between mutations produced using NGTs and classical mutagenesis, the same level of biosafety precautions should be applied.
  • Sustainability should be managed on a system-level and not be used as a criterion solely and explicitly for NGT authorisation.

Read details in the full EPSO statement – the EPSO submission to the DG SANTE public consultation on the impact assessment of policy options regarding the legislation for plants produced by certain new genomic techniques (NGTs).

EPSO statement EC impact assessment of policy options on certain new genomic techniques, 2.12.2022

EPSO submission to the EC consultation towards impact assessment of policy options on certain NGTs, 21.7.2022 [EC LINK consultation].

EC: consultation towards the impact assessment of policy options on certain new genomic techniques (NGTs), 29.4.2022 EC LINK consultation.

Contacts:

Jens Sundström & Alan Schulman, EPSO Chairs WG Agricultural Technologies

Karin Metzlaff, EPSO Executive Director