The European Parliament today voted to endorse the outcome of trilogue negotiations on the EU’s proposed legislation for genetically modified plants developed using so-called new genomic techniques (NGTs). Under the new rules, many plants engineered with gene editing techniques such as CRISPR/Cas will fall outside EU GMO law, meaning requirements for environmental risk assessment, traceability measures and consumer labelling will no longer apply.
In the night of 3 to 4 December, negotiators from the EU Parliament, Council of Ministers and Commission reached an agreement on a far-reaching deregulation of plants engineered with new GM techniques such as CRISPR/Cas. Under the deal, almost all requirements of EU GMO legislation would be abolished for this type of GM plants.
At the World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) narrowly voted against a “precautionary deferment” of the release of genetically engineered wild species into natural ecosystems. However, a slim majority of IUCN members supported a call for “additional precautionary safeguards” on such releases. The Congress exposed deep divisions within the conservation community over whether genetically engineered wild organisms should be released into nature.
At the IUCN World Congress starting tomorrow, 9 October, delegates will be asked to vote on a motion calling for a moratorium on genetically engineered wild species. The decision will test whether IUCN upholds the Precautionary Principle and demonstrates leadership in protecting and restoring nature – or whether it opens the door to experimental technologies that risk undermining conservation efforts and eroding public trust.
The government of Burkina Faso has ordered the immediate halt of the Target Malaria initiative operating in the country. Target Malaria had just begun its second field trial with genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes, aiming to gain knowledge and experience before moving toward the release of GM mosquitoes with gene drives at a later stage.
As the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) prepares to take a position on synthetic biology in conservation, Joann Sy of Pollinis warns that we must not reframe nature conservation as a project of engineering but view it as a project of care, restoration and restraint.
At present, only three genetically modified crops developed with new techniques such as CRISPR/Cas are on the market worldwide. That’s the key finding of the New GMOs Market Report, published by the European Non-GMO Industry Association (ENGA) and the US-based Non-GMO Project.
Following the publication of our report “When Chatbots Breed New Plant Varieties”, experts used a publicly accessible AI tool to design a genetically modified (GM) plant with novel insecticidal properties. The experiment shows that the EU’s proposed legislation on new genomic techniques (NGT) would fail to protect the environment from serious harm if it does not take emerging technological capabilities into account.
Should genetic engineering be used to kill off invasive species, or make corals resistant to warmer waters? Should endangered species be genetically modified in the name of nature conservation? The controversy over the role of genetic engineering in nature conservation continues to intensify. Two motions have been submitted for adoption by the World Congress of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) later this year.
Civil society organisations from across Europe have issued a joint statement urging EU decision makers to uphold mandatory labelling and traceability for genetically modified plants developed through new genomic techniques (NGTs), such as CRISPR/Cas.