Researchers from Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, KU Leuven and the Max Planck Institute take a stand on the new NGT regulations.
On July 5, 2023, the European Commission announced the development of a new framework for plants derived from NGTs (New Genomic Techniques), i.e. genetically-edited plants, which would be less restrictive than the 2001 regulation on GMOs. Depending on the extent of the modifications undergone, specimens will therefore fall into category 1, modifications similar to those selected conventionally, or category 2, more significant improvements that subject the species to regulations similar to those for GMOs.
While the relaxation of the rules for a proportion of NGT-derived plants is viewed in a generally positive light, some elements of this new regulation are raised by the co-authors (Prof. Hervé Vanderschuren (Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech), Prof. Devang Mehta (KU Leuven), Dr Patience Chatukuta and Prof. Detlef Weigel (Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen), who expressed their concerns in correspondence published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.
Their critical analysis of this news focuses in particular on the fact that varieties derived from Category 1 modifications will be subject to the same legislation as GMOs with regard to organic farming. Other issues raised in the same text include the arbitrary threshold of 20 nucleotides that can be added or replaced, and the potential consequences of this regulation on trade with countries outside the EU, particularly in Africa.
Through their publication, the scientists wish to express their enthusiasm for the many possibilities that these new rules may bring on both a local and global scale, and in particular for the development of improved plants to meet the many challenges posed by the establishment of a pesticide-free European agriculture. They reiterate the importance of adopting a non-dogmatic, science-based approach to this debate.
