“New GMOs” take a step forward in the European Parliament

Varieties more resistant to drought, insects or diseases, low-gluten wheat... so many horizons opened up by "new genomic techniques" (NGT), a host of tools "editing" the genetic material of plants without addition exterior - unlike “transgenic” genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Members of the European Parliament's Environment Committee voted in favor of new rules intended to encourage these emerging technologies, before a plenary vote in early February for negotiations with member states. Principle of the text proposed last summer by the European Commission: the drastic rules governing GMOs (long authorization procedure, traceability, labeling, surveillance, etc.) would not apply to seeds and products from NGT and presenting modifications likely to occur naturally or via traditional crossings (known as “category 1”). Subject to a limited number of mutations, they would be considered “equivalent” to conventional varieties and simply registered in a public database. All other ...