The European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis, told a small group of journalists in Brussels on Friday 7 June that he was in favour of “new legislation” on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) derived from certain mutagenesis techniques.
In his view, it is appropriate to discuss it. It will be up to the next European Commission to decide whether or not new rules are needed, following the recent ruling of the Court of Justice of the EU. The Commission considered that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) resulting from certain mutagenic techniques, having the same effects as transgenesis and appearing after 2001, are covered by the obligations of the ‘GMO’ Directive (see EUROPE 12070/6).
Several European Ministers of Agriculture had asked the Commission to clarify the provisions of the GMO Directive (2001/18/EC) to take into account plants resulting from new plant breeding techniques by mutagenesis (see EUROPE 12255/12).
According to Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis, who spoke on the occasion of the International Day for Food Safety, there is a need to launch a debate in society on new crop varieties. Indeed, operators cannot develop them unless they fall under the old GMO legislation, the Commissioner noted. According to him, it is necessary to discuss it, because the subject is related to biodiversity, ecology and techniques to reduce the use of chemical pesticides.
Plant protection. The Commissioner also stressed that it will be up to the new Commission to decide whether or not to reopen the debate on plant protection. A report on the subject is expected to be published towards the end of the year. “The regulation was adopted at the time in a controversial environment. I am sure that such controversies cannot be avoided again”, the Commissioner stressed, recalling that the European Parliament has called for a reform of the pesticide authorisation procedure in the European Union to make it more transparent, independent and accountable in the use of science (see EUROPE 12173/7).
In addition, taking stock of his tenure as Commissioner of Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis said he was “proud that we have achieved a lot in 5 years”. He cited, in particular, the reform of the EU's general food law (see EUROPE 12238/17) which will be endorsed by the EU Council next week, the Regulation to reduce the risk of consumer exposure to acrylamide (11909/10) and the evaluation of glyphosate, which is now being carried out in four EU countries (France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Hungary). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)