On 24 September, the European Commission launched work on the revision of the legislation applicable to plants produced using certain new genomic techniques.
For this revision, the Commission has launched a public consultation until 22 October and has published an Inception Impact Assessment.
In order to facilitate the marketing of safe plants obtained by targeted cisgenesis and mutagenesis and to improve European competitiveness, the Commission states that the assessment procedures should take into account the technique used, the type of modification and the novelty of the selected characteristic.
The contribution of products to the sustainability of food systems will also have to be measured, the Commission insists. Furthermore, legislation will need to be able to adjust quickly to technological progress.
The Commission will then publish an impact assessment. It will examine, among other things, the effects of the products of new genomic techniques (NGTs) on the environment (use of pesticides, natural resources or the development of more resistant varieties), on innovation and research in Europe and on the market for organic and GMO-free agriculture. A twelve-week public consultation will follow in the second quarter of 2022, with a view to a legislative proposal in the second quarter of 2023.
Link to the Inception Impact Assessment: https://bit.ly/3CScW1R (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)