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EU Commission plans to proceed rapidly with deregulation of New GE

Kyriakides: proposal for a new law will be presented before the summer break

5 May 2023 / In a letter to Testbiotech, the EU Commission claims that all risks associated with the unintended genetic changes of plants derived from new genomic techniques (NGT, also known as new genetic engineering orNew GE) have already been addressed. At the same time, the responsible Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, has publicly announced that she will present draft legislation before the summer break to accelerate the introduction of plants derived from New GE.

Scientific publication on new genetic engineering calls attention to a previously unknown dimension in environmental risks

Warning against hasty releases

25 April 2023 / A recent scientific publication has shown that releases of organisms obtained from new genetic engineering (also known as new genomic techniques, NGTs) carry much higher risks than previously thought. It is the first scientific publication to focus on interactions between NGT organisms with various traits after their release into a shared environment.

A large number of NGT organisms across a broad range of traits and species have been developed in laboratories in recent years. Many of them may be released into the environment in the near future.

EU postpones draft regulation for new genetic engineering

The reason: procedural shortcomings

13 April 2023 / Various sources have reported that the European Commission will probably not be able to present a legislative proposal for the (de)regulation of plants obtained from 'new genetic engineering' (NGT) on June 7 as planned. This is because of procedural shortcomings, which also Testbiotech has already criticized several times. For example, the Commission has so far refused to comprehensively assess the risks to humans and the environment. It has also not presented adequate procedural concepts for a technology assessment and consumer freedom of choice.

New GE: Risks of unintended genetic changes are ‘overlooked’

EU Commission discussion paper leaked

3 April 2023 / Testbiotech has criticized an EU Commission services discussion paper which has been leaked to the public. The paper outlines criteria that might be applied in the deregulation of plants derived from methods of new genetic engineering (New GE or NGTs). It compares genetic alterations caused by the processes of New GE to those known from previous methods of conventional breeding and random mutagenesis.