Some MEPs have sent a letter to the Commission ahead of the publishing of draft regulation on plants varieties obtained thanks to new genomic techniques, calling for further research and attention to safety. The 31 elected representatives asked the Commission to analyse in more details the risks related to new genomic techniques, pointing out that […]
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NEW GENOMIC TECHNIQUES: NGOS KEEP MEDIA ATTENTION HIGH
The scientific community has welcomed the results of more than 20 years of research that led to the completion of the sequencing of human genome. The discovery corrects thousands of structural errors in the previous reference genetic material.
In the EU, NGOs (notably in Germany and Austria) are keeping the media attention high on the matter of ‘de-regulation’ of GMOs restrictions, with the German secretary of state for agriculture taking clear position to defend the status quo. Belgium, on the other hand, shows more complacent position towards NGT by allowing three new gene edited maize varieties for field trial, while in the UK field experiments have been allowed for barley varieties.
Outside the EU, India allows for derogation of biosafety assessment of two gene edited crop varieties, and in the US a field experiment aiming at reducing the population of viruses-carriers mosquitoes through modified mosquitoes has shown positive results.
full note available on FE Members’ area