News
Vote on genetic engineering: Yes to transparency – No to risk assessment and coexistence
European Parliament, European Union 2024, Source: EP
Surprisingly for many observers, the EP voted in favour of the labelling of new genetic engineering products along the entire value chain from seed to supermarket shelf, contrary to the recommendation of the Environment and Agriculture Committee.
However, according to the EP, there should be no coexistence measures to maintain GMO-free agriculture. Nor is it mandatory to provide information that could be used to identify products of new genetic engineering.
"The European Parliament's vote is a clear improvement on the EU Commission's proposal. Transparent labelling is the basis for freedom of choice. This is a step in the right direction, which must now be consistently pursued in the negotiations with the EU Commission and the Council of Ministers," comments Alexander Hissting, Managing Director of the German Association for Food without Genetic Engineering (VLOG).
Businesses from the organic and "Ohne Gentechnik" (Non-GMO) sector have appealed to parliamentarians to advocate clear labelling until the very end. They had argued that the vote was not a vote in favour or opposing genetic engineering, but about maintaining transparency and freedom of choice. "The voice of reason prevailed, at least among a majority of parliamentarians, in the last few meters," Hissting analyses.
But the vote in the EP also has many downsides. "In addition to labelling, we also need uniform coexistence regulations for the cultivation of plants and information on the traceability of new genetic engineering products," says Hissting. "This is the only way to keep the range of organic and "Ohne Gentechnik" foods GMO-free. Fortunately, the parliamentary vote is by far not the last word. Now it is up to the Member States in the EU Council of Ministers. And there, by all means, I am hopeful, especially after the clear words of German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir in Brussels and Berlin. I am certain that if he stands up for this with the other States, there can be a sensible solution for all sides."
With today's vote, the European Parliament has initially defined its position which it will bring to the negotiations with the EU Commission and Member States in the further process. The States have not yet been able to reach an agreement. It seems quite possible that the issue of genetic engineering re-regulation will still play a role in the European elections in June 2024.