The European Commission (EC) is set to propose the deregulation of certain genetically
modified (GM) plants that have been produced using gene editing, a set of techniques
within genetic engineering. This report looks at the possible implications and
consequences of such a deregulation for the European Union (EU), considering the Union’s
efforts to achieve wider policy objectives with respect to sustainable food and farming
systems, consumer choice, innovation, competitiveness, and other strategic goals.
In sum, deregulation of certain GM crops and foods could have wide and long-term
implications, not only for the use of specific crop biotechnologies in farming and food
production in Europe, but for the broader sustainable and equitable development of
European agri-food systems. The report argues that these potential implications should
be weighed carefully in a broad and democratic debate, which should prioritise the desired
sustainable directions for European agriculture and food systems, rather than placing a naïve
faith in the supposed power of a singular technological pathway that locks farmers, input
suppliers, food companies and consumers into an input-dependent technology treadmill.
The new report produced by Adrian Ely, Patrick van Zwanenberg, Elise Wach and Dominic Glover for the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament is available here
