The accelerated relaxation of those GMO approval criteria was earlier this year one of the 'conditions' set by the European Christian Democrats to cooperate on EU plans to reduce the use of fertilizers and crop protection products in agriculture and horticulture.
Only the Greens and the Left reject the current GMO proposal, partly because there will be no mandatory labeling on genetically modified products. If the proposal passes, it will have serious consequences for consumer protection, the precautionary principle, organic farming, GMO-free cultivation, and biodiversity, said the German Green Martin Häusling.
The Christian Democrats, conservatives, liberals, and a portion of the social democrats see great opportunities in permitting new breeding techniques. From an initial debate it appears they want to act quickly to clear the way for new breeding techniques before the European elections in spring 2024. This accelerated procedure is partly enabled by an announced concession from the Spanish EU presidency.
The proposal will already be on the meeting agenda next month of both the AGRI agriculture committee and the ENVI environment committee. The latter committee has a decisive vote on their report about NGT. In January, a plenary vote will follow in Strasbourg, so that negotiations with the EU member states and the European Commission in the trilogue can be completed before the European elections.
Earlier this year, Environment Commissioner Virginius Sinkevicius said drafting new European GMO rules would take a lot of time, as extensive research is also needed on legal consequences and potential liability. This is especially relevant should Brussels decide not to apply the so-called precautionary duty to Crispr-Cas.
The acceleration of the approval process is criticized by the Greens and the Left. Swedish rapporteur Jessica Polfjärd (EPP/CDA) entirely rejects labeling NGT varieties. The opposition fears this will make genomic techniques possible even in organic farming. It is uncertain whether there will be a majority for this in the full parliament.
Decision-making on GMO procedures in Brussels and Strasbourg coincides with impending decisions by the European Commission, Agriculture and Environment Ministers, and EU politicians on several important agriculture-related proposals.
In the coming months, final decisions must yet be made on, among other things, the LNR nature restoration law, the SUR pesticide reduction, the glyphosate ban, the clean soil regulation, sodium pollution of groundwater, and the modernization of the animal welfare law.