As stakeholders in the agri-food sector, we call on EU policymakers to ensure the freedom of choice and rights for consumers, supply chain operators, farmers and breeders by upholding mandatory labelling of new GMOs obtained by new genomic techniques (NGTs) as well as traceability across the entire value chain.
The Commission’s proposed Regulation on plants obtained with New Genomic Techniques (NGT) aims to accelerate market access for the latest generation of GM plants and avoid consumer rejection of GM food. The proposal exposes consumers and the environment to unknown risks, jeopardises both organic and conventional GMO-free agricultural production and would lead to a surge of patented GM seeds. Without labelling of final products, consumers would be left in the dark.
Brussels, 14 March 2025 – The Council of Ministers today reached an agreement on a position regarding the deregulation of genetically modified (GM) plants. In the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER), the Polish EU Presidency managed to secure a narrow majority for its proposal of 19 February.
Deregulating new GMOs will cause problems for farmers and breeders. These problems include biopiracy, increased risk of lawsuits against farmers and breeders, administrative burden due to legal uncertainty, increased production costs, risk of losing their business, reduced seed variety and increased vulnerability to pests and diseases.
Berlin and Brussels, 23 January 2025 – A new report released today by Save Our Seeds highlights the increasing use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the development of genetically modified (GM) plants, raising significant new concerns about their safety.
The increasing use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools is driving a profound transformation in plant genetic engineering. On the one hand, AI could enhance the precision and efficiency of CRISPR gene editing. On the other hand, AI-driven genetic engineering is susceptible to well-known limitations of AI, such as the black box effect, hallucinations and data errors, raising significant concerns about the safety of engineered plants.
In a letter to Polish agriculture minister Siekierski, 30 organisations – including NGOs and businesses working across Europe in the areas of food and farming, and environmental protection – have protested the latest compromise proposal on GMO deregulation.
Brussels, 8 January 2025 – On January 7, 2025, the Polish EU Presidency released a new compromise proposal on the deregulation of plants genetically engineered through gene-editing techniques like CRISPR-Cas. The proposal does little to address the significant regulatory gaps created by this draft law.
A group of EU organisations have asked Polish agriculture minister Siekierski to defend the EU model of farming by making sure our EU legislation protects farmers and breeders against patented GM seeds and allows consumers to choose GMO-free food.
At COP16, parties should reaffirm the ‘broad and regular’ horizon scanning and agree on the next steps in the CBD’s Synthetic Biology program.