An interview by Judith Duesberg of GeN – the Gen-ethical Network – with Peter Wohlleben.
A holistic perspective on the environmental release of genetically engineered bacteria.
In a statement published on 13 October 2026 in the prestigious French newspaper Le Monde, 62 researchers, including ecologists and evolutionary biologists, warn that the European Commission’s proposals risk changing “our relationship with the living world.”
On 7 October, MEPs Marta Temido (S&D) and Martin Häusling (Greens/EFA) held discussions with four scientists specialising in microbiology and ecology on the topic: Genetically Engineered Micro-Organisms – Opportunities and Risks.
Today, 36 civil society organisations from 12 countries urged MEPs to reject plans to weaken EU safety requirements for the environmental release of genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs), including bacteria, yeasts, algae and viruses. The appeal follows a similar call from European ecological scientists to maintain strong safeguards.
Eight companies and four associations representing GMO-free agriculture in Germany have filed an action with the General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg. The action for annulment challenges Regulation (EU) 2026/1388 of 17 June 2026 on plants obtained through “new genomic techniques” (NGTs).
The Slovak government will file a lawsuit with the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) against the new EU regulation on genetically modified plants developed with new genetic engineering techniques, according to Prime Minister Robert Fico.
The EU is moving towards weaker rules for genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs) deliberately released into the environment. The Commission says EU GMO regulations are blocking access to products available elsewhere. But the global market for environmental GMMs is tiny, their benefits remain uncertain, and scientists warn that environmental releases could pose risks that are difficult to predict, control or reverse.
The successful creation of functional new-to-nature viruses designed by artificial intelligence has prompted renewed calls for stronger oversight of synthetic biology and AI-enabled genome design. In the EU, meanwhile, discussions are focussed on preventing the malicious misuse of biotechnology, while paying little attention to the biosafety questions raised by increasingly capable AI genome design tools.
National GMO coexistence rules still apply to all genetically modified (GM) plants, including those deregulated under new EU laws, a new legal opinion shows. This is because the EU has never exhaustively regulated these areas, also not in its latest Regulation (EU) 2006/1388 on plants derived from “new genomic techniques” (NGT). The German federal ministry of agriculture disputes this finding,…
Artificial intelligence is no longer just transforming apps, office work, or search engines. It is increasingly beginning to reshape agriculture, food systems, biology, labour, and even living organisms themselves. Yet these developments are rarely discussed together. This event series, hosted by Save Our Seeds together with people from the AI, science, environmental and civil society communities, creates space for exactly these conversations.