“We won’t know what’s on our plates!”
In Slovakia, Member of the European Parliament Branislav Ondruš (Independent, formerly Hlas-SD) has shared a video on Facebook calling on the Slovak government to appeal against the EU deregulation of new GMOs. The Facebook link is here (there's an English translation); the Youtube link is here.
Branislav Ondruš is a Social Democrat who was a member of Hlas-SD, which is part of the government coalition. Recently he left the party because he was running for president of the Slovak Trade Union Confederation.
Below is an English translation of an article, which covers what he says in the video (please note that the 28 August deadline to appeal against the deregulation is a mistake).
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Ondruš warns against new EU rules: We won’t know what’s on our plates!
Slovaks will reportedly not know what they are eating: Ondruš calls on the government to take legal action against the EU
By Eka Balašková
Hlavný denník, 16 Aug 2026
In a YouTube video, Member of the European Parliament Branislav Ondruš (Hlas-SD) officially called on the Government of the Slovak Republic to challenge new European legislation concerning genetically modified crops at the Court of Justice of the European Union. The reason for his appeal is that the new rules restrict consumers’ right to know what they are buying and consuming, while relieving producers of several obligations related to labelling and tracking the potential effects of genetically modified food.
“Three-quarters of Slovaks across the entire political spectrum, along with hundreds of experts and organizations, are demanding this because it is a very serious matter—concerning the health safety and credibility of food, and the protection of our citizens’ fundamental rights, which the latest EU legislation tramples on and denies,” Ondruš emphasised. According to him, filing a lawsuit is currently the only way to stop the new rules. The Council of Agriculture Ministers caved to pressure from a few multinational corporations and abolished protection for people who do not want to consume genetically modified food. He also recalled that all Slovak MEPs voted against adopting the legislation without exception. The deadline by which we can defend ourselves is August 28, which is why Ondruš also called on the government directly through ministers.
No control over what we eat
“The new European law abolishes the obligation for producers to disclose and transparently state that a product is a genetically modified food. It even removes the obligation to monitor and evaluate the effects of such food after it is placed on the market. They simply will not tell you the truth, and no one will check it,” explained the MEP. Ondruš warns that the consequence could be a gradual weakening of traditional agriculture and an increasing dependence of farmers on major seed and chemical manufacturers. According to him, consumers will not be able to reliably determine whether genetically modified ingredients are present in bread, meat, or honey.
An experiment with health
“Even a farmer won’t realise they are buying genetically modified feed for cows or pigs, and a beekeeper won’t know that their bees are collecting pollen from genetically modified rapeseed or flowers of other genetically modified plants. You then buy honey and won’t know if there is something in it that shouldn’t be there,” warns the MEP. He considers the removal of the obligation to monitor the consequences of using new genetic technologies to be particularly dangerous. “When bees suddenly start dying, when your skin starts itching, or when you get an upset stomach after a regular meal, nobody will know why. This legislation strips manufacturers of even the last obligation to monitor what their genetic experiments are doing to humans, animals, and nature. They will sell and won’t have to care,” declared Ondruš.
No, this is not progress
Behind the pushing through of these rules, he sees neither an effort toward scientific progress nor support for drought-resistant crops, but primarily the commercial interests of major chemical and agrochemical corporations, including Bayer, Corteva, Syngenta, and BASF. According to him, these companies not only manufacture chemical products but also trade seeds and patent the results of genetic modifications. “Just two of these companies control more than half of the US market for corn, soybeans, and cotton, and now they want to dominate European agriculture as well. To them, it isn’t about working the land. They are turning agriculture into a branch of the chemical industry because it yields giant profits for them,” he added.
Who holds the patent?
Ondruš also pointed out the risk of disputes over patented seeds. According to him, pollen from genetically modified plants can travel via wind or bees to the fields of farmers who do not intentionally cultivate these crops. The patent holder could then demand royalty payments from the farmer or subject them to litigation. “A corporation comes along, analyses his crop, and says: ‘There's our genetically modified material in your corn; pay up, or we'll destroy you with a lawsuit.’ It is a total takeover of the market, farmers, and consumers, all in the name of profits for a few mammoth corporations,” he stated.
We have the means to defend ourselves
According to the MEP, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union provides the means for defence, allowing a member state to challenge European legislation if it violates fundamental rights. Foreign legal analyses, which are also available to Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč (Smer-SSD), point out, according to Ondruš, a conflict with decisions of the Court of Justice of the EU, consumer protection regulations, and Article 191 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.
Time is running out, only a few days remain
According to him, the appeal to file a lawsuit was signed by more than 300 European organisations, experts, farmers, and environmentalists. He also cited a survey showing that 75 percent of Slovak residents support such a move. However, the government must act no later than August 28. “I call on the government, which must approve the filing of the lawsuit, not to miss the opportunity to prove that it does not stand on the side of oligarchs. I have also reached out directly to government politicians I am in contact with, because I want to fight for this until the very last possible moment. I am not standing with corporations, but with honest farmers, workers, and their families,” Branislav Ondruš concluded.