Belgium has proposed a compromise to address concerns over the patenting of novel seed varieties and the exclusion of herbicide-resistant strains of genetically modified (GMO) plants from the new ‘category 1’ classification, in an effort to break a deadlock among EU governments over the issue. Currently, the European Commission has proposed creating a new category of genetically modified plant products whose genome has been modified with a limited number of tweaks using targeted mutagenesis techniques developed since the GMO Directive was adopted over two decades ago. The Belgian proposal, which will be discussed by government delegates on May 22, seeks to exclude patented plant strains from the light-touch regulation of genetically modified crops created using modern DNA editing technology. The draft compromise text also deletes an exclusion from the GMO-lite category of herbicide-resistant strains of GMO plants. The European Parliament had finalized its first reading position on the bill last month in order to avoid having to restart negotiations from scratch when the new assembly takes office in July. The German NGO Testbiotech, a vocal critic of the proposed deregulation, said the risks associated with the new-generation GMO products had nothing to do with their status under patent law. Agriculture ministers had rejected an earlier effort by Spain to break the deadlock on the overhaul of GMO regulations in December, with several countries expressing concerns over mandatory labeling and a lack of social acceptance.
Belgium Proposes Compromise to Break EU Deadlock on GMO Regulation
