European Commission opens consultation
The European Commission has launched consultation processes on the implementation of the controversial EU regulation on plants derived from new genetic engineering (or new genomic techniques, NGTs). Among other things, the process aims to specify how the claimed equivalence of so-called ‘NGT1 plants’ to conventionally bred plants is to be verified and which of these plants will be assessed for health risks, Testbiotech reports. It will also establish what information must be included in a registry where NGT1 plants will be registered in the future.
Testbiotech says the Commission was granted far-reaching powers for the implementation of the regulation. These include the ability to adapt the criteria for classifying NGT1 plants as equivalent to conventionally bred plants in line with the current state of scientific knowledge. These criteria are set forth in Annex I of the regulation. ‘NGT1 plants’ that meet these criteria are exempt from environmental risk assessment.
Against this backdrop, Testbiotech proposes to use the implementation process to improve safety for health and the environment: (i) Annex I has to be updated in order to reflect the current state of scientific knowledge. Recent technical developments can result in traits that even exceed those of transgenic plants, but have not been taken into account. (ii) Appropriate procedures have to be introduced to assess the likelihood that a specific NGT plant could actually be produced by conventional breeding methods. (iii) As a general rule, NGT plants should only be authorised if the producers have previously submitted scientific publications providing details of the genetic modifications.
However, these proposals cannot remedy the fundamental shortcomings of the regulation. The regulation explicitly stipulates that environmental risk assessments are not required for NGT1 plants. The result: Even if NGT1 plants are known to pose increased risks, e.g. in respect to uncontrolled spread, pollinators and soil organisms, the natural food webs, or higher invasiveness, they will not undergo environmental risk assessment. The only exemption are NGT plants that are herbicide resistant or known to be insecticidal.
In practice, the EU might be forced to approve NGT1 plants even if they pose obvious risks to the environment. The only decisive factor is whether they meet the formal criteria of Annex I. Testbiotech therefore hopes that the European Court of Justice will have the opportunity to review the content of the regulation. In fact, lawsuits against the regulation have already been announced.
Source: Testbiotech
