Civil society organisations from across Europe, including Save Our Seeds, 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.
The appeal comes in response to mounting pressure from industry groups seeking to exempt these new GM plants from any traceability and labelling requirements. In their joint statement, 49 European and national organisations warn that removing these requirements would undermine the fundamental rights of 450 million EU citizens and jeopardise the integrity of GMO-free farming systems across Europe.
The debate over GMO labelling and traceability has reached a critical point, as final negotiations are underway concerning the proposed deregulation of GM plants engineered with new GM techniques (NGTs). The European Commission and the Council of Ministers have proposed that only GM seeds be labelled — excluding final food and feed products derived from these GM plants. Only the European Parliament has taken a clear stand in favour of mandatory on-package labelling for all products containing NGTs.
The signatories of the joint statement call on the Parliament to hold firm in defence of consumer rights and GMO-free agriculture. Rolling back labelling and traceability would not only violate long-standing EU principles of food transparency, but also erode public trust in the food system.
Read the press release from foodwatch
Read the op-ed by Franziska Achterberg, Save Our Seeds, on Arc2020
Photo ©Greens/EFA – GMO protest in Strasbourg, February 2024
