Full deregulation for some GMOs is being considered by the European Commission in light of seven policy scenarios (A1 to C2) detailed in a targeted investigation prepared by the Commission’s consultants responsible for the impact assessment of its future proposal on GMOs derived from new genomic techniques.
These scenarios, as seen by EUROPE, form the basis of the impact assessment that will accompany the Commission’s proposal due in spring 2023. They were released to some stakeholders and were not part of the public consultation that ended on 22 July (see EUROPE 12942/7).
The Commission wants to distinguish between two new categories of GM crops: those that “could also be obtained naturally or by conventional breeding” and those that have “desirable sustainability impacts”.
For ‘nature-identical’ GM crops, the Commission envisages removing all requirements related to GMOs (scenarios A2, B3), namely: - safety assessments before being placed on the market; - product traceability throughout the supply chain; - the detection method for GMOs; - the labelling of GMOs.
These GM crops would essentially be regulated as conventional crops without taking into account the risks to public health and the environment, the need for conventional producers to exclude GMO contamination and the public’s right to know what is in their food.
The institution is also considering the possibility of removing the GMO labelling requirement for genetically modified crops that are supposedly ‘sustainable’ (B2).
It is also considering lowering the risk assessment requirements for all crops genetically modified by ‘targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis’ (A1).
Greens/EFA in the European Parliament demand transparency. In a letter to the European Commission dated 20 July, the Greens/EFA group protested against the institution’s lack of transparency and its plan.
“We took note that the Commission’s policy scenarios have not been made public but only released to a select group of individuals via a targeted survey. We consider that this is not the appropriate way to ensure participants to the consultation have access to all relevant information to make an informed answer and call on you to publish this survey without delay”, write the MEPs.
They also refer to the 2018 EU Court of Justice ruling that GMOs obtained through mutagenesis or cisgenesis are indeed subject to GMO legislation (case C-528/16) (see EUROPE 12070/6).
They also recall the basic principles that should apply: - the need for a comprehensive and robust risk assessment; - no access to the single market without traceability and detection method (see EUROPE 12887/6, 12858/16); - the right of consumers to know how their food is produced through clear labelling.
See the Commission’s scenarios: https://aeur.eu/f/2qj
See the letter: https://aeur.eu/f/2qk (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)