A study by the European Commission states that new crop breeding techniques such as CRISPR/Cas can be beneficial for the environment and promote greener agriculture.
It is also noted that new genome techniques â rightly â still fall under the twenty-year-old European laws on genetic modifications, and that these rules need to be updated.
The GMO advice presented today in Brussels has long been anticipated with tension. The European Commission now says it wants to allow the use of new gene-editing methods and that it will consult with the agriculture ministers and the European Parliament about legislative changes.
The EU commissioners commissioned the study more than two years ago after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg ruled in 2018 that (using CRISPR technology) the âcutting outâ of genetic elements in agriculture is also a form of genetic manipulation, and thus falls under the current (strict) EU gene laws.
In that ruling, the European Court equated the new breeding techniques with conventional genetic modification. The ruling has been criticized in many EU countries' agricultural sectors because the strict requirements hinder the use of âharmlessâ new methods within the EU.
âNew breeding techniques can promote the sustainability of agricultural production,â said EU Commissioner Stella Kyriakides (Food Safety, Biodiversity) during the presentation of the study. She especially had disease-resistant varieties and the avoidance of chemical pesticides in mind. In other parts of the world, CRISPR/Cas is already gaining ground.
It will still take some time before the European Commission submits a proposal for the new breeding methods. A consultation with stakeholders and an impact assessment will precede the proposal. The EU agriculture ministers aim to deal with the study during their upcoming semi-annual Agriculture Council meeting at the end of May.