Press conference: New genomic techniques
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IFOAM Organics Europe invites you to a press conference on the legislative proposal on so-called “New Genomic Techniques” on Thursday, 30 November at 10:00 CET (Brussels time).
If you are covering food, patents, GMOs and B2B developments, this press conference is a must. We are putting together a panel of various experts:
- Jan Plagge, President of the European organic movement and the German farmers’ organisation Bioland
- Dr. Angelika Hilbeck, Agroecologist at ETH Zürich
- Bernard Lignon, Project Lead on Regulations and Organic Product Quality at Synabio, the French umbrella organisation of organic processors
- Moderation: Eric Gall, Deputy Director of IFOAM Organics Europe
Why this press conference?
The Commission’s proposal – Changing the GMO legal framework
The European Commission published a legislative proposal on so-called “New Genomic Techniques” (or NGTs in EU jargon), which will adapt the regulatory framework on GMOs – changing the EU’s current precautionary approach to biosafety, freedom of choice, and consumer information.
The draft proposal differentiates between NGT crops, “category 1 NGT plants” and “category 2 NGT plants”:
- Category 1 crops would be less regulated than category 2 crops. For the second category, the existing GMO legislative framework still applies – except for certain rules related to risk assessment, detection methods, and more “sustainable” NGT crops;
- Crops in both categories would continue to be prohibited in organic farming.
For months, the European organic and GMO-free industry has been demanding an explicit ban of GMOs derived from NGTs in organic production, stating this ban should be embedded within the NGT regulatory framework and be reinforced by legal and technical means.
The Parliament & Council’s input – Forcing a rushed change on Europe’s food system and safety
Despite heavy controversy on many issues, from patentability, consumers’ rights to information, and environmental precaution, both the European Parliament and Council are pushing for a sped-up timeline of the legislative file. Concretely speaking, the Parliament’s agriculture committee and the EU Ministers (Council) has scheduled votes in December, while votes in Parliament’s environmental committee and even entire Parliament’s Plenary are scheduled for January.
For months, the European organic and GMO-free industry has been demanding an explicit ban of GMOs derived from NGTs in organic production, stating this ban should be embedded within the NGT regulatory framework and be reinforced by legal and technical means.
However, individual Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have repeatedly chosen to dismiss these industry demands (for example, the conservative EPP rapporteurs’ draft report). These developments are extremely worrying for both consumers and producers who want (and need) freedom of choice in what they grow, buy, and eat! The Parliament and Council should ensure a ban of these new GMOs in organic.
In the organic movement’s view, in June 2023, an overwhelming majority of the European organic movement re-affirmed that the organic production process should remain free of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Our members and us strongly believe that gene editing technologies are not aligned with the principles of organic agriculture nor with consumer expectations.
Date: Thursday, 30 November at 10:00 CET (Brussels time)
Place: online