Give your feedback to the European Commission’s consultation on new GMOs!
With the publication of its working document on “new genomic techniques”, the European Commission has opened the debate again on genetically modified organisms (GMOs). To put an end to any potential deregulation of GMOs and stop them from coming on our fields and plates, address the Commission with our message proposal! Find more information below the form.
Please note: everyone can sign – also non-EU citizens, then please choose “other”.
Click here for the Spanish Version (Espanol)
Click here for the German Version (Deutsch)
Together we make a difference!
Rise of new GMOs
So far, all GMOs fall under the scope of the EU’s GMO legislation of 2001 – if they are not the result of GM techniques that have a “long history of safe use”. This means that they are subject to EU authorization, to risk assessment, GMO labelling and traceability. But with the development in the last years of the new genetic modification techniques such as TALENs, zinc finger nuclease and CRISPR/Cas9, the status of these techniques is being questioned. Seed producers like Bayer/Monsanto and Corteva claim that seeds engineered by these techniques are not GMOs and should not fall under the EU’s GMO regulations presenting them as a solution in the current climate debate.
Unchanged risks
Although the new generation of GM techniques is often presented as more precise and safer, risks and threats remain the same. Many of the laboratory processes used remain the same, resulting in unforeseeable and unintended changes in the genome. In addition, the “gene scissors” themselves also lead to unintended changes, with unknown consequences for human health and ecosystems.
Organic and biodynamic farming under threat
For these reasons, the Biodynamic Federation Demeter International has always excluded any use of GMOs, using old or new techniques, as it is not in accordance with the principles of biodynamic farming. The current EU labelling and traceability system is what ensures the production of GMO-free food and is therefore essential for organic and biodynamic farming. Any changes to the current regulation would put under threat the biodynamic certification process and more generally the production of GM-free food.
We believe that, to fight against climate change, new GM techniques are not the solution. Technological fixes will not be sufficient to build a sustainable future. A fundamental change in our farming systems is needed. Organic and biodynamic farming show that farming can be done in a way that preserves the environment and our health.
No deregulation
Unfortunately, the European Commission announced that it wants to exclude certain GM plants from the EU’s GMO regulations.
The European Commission has launched a short public consultation on its plans. As Biodynamic Federation Demeter International we are using this opportunity to oppose any weakening of the current GMO regulations. We are asking the Commission to implement the landmark ruling of the European Court of Justice of July 2018, by which new GMOs need to be regulated under the EU’s GMO regulations to protect public health and the environment, and to respect the EU’s precautionary principle.
This consultation is our chance to call on the European Commission to apply the current GMO regulations to all GMOs and to respect the precautionary principle.
Only 4 weeks to act
It is now up to us to raise our voices for a GMO-free agriculture! The consultation is open until October 22, 2021.
Please note that the consultation is accessible in all EU languages and that your contribution will be published on the Commission’s webpage.
For more information about new GMOs, please have a look at our position paper.
