The EU Parliament voted today to bring new genetic engineering onto the market with almost no restrictions in the future. Only the agricultural industry benefits from this, warns Wiener.
Strasbourg (OTS) – Just six months ago, the European Commission proposed a serious change to EU genetic engineering law that would affect so-called NGTs, i.e. plants that have been modified using new genetic engineering (genetic scissors). Now the proposal has been waved through in plenary session – with serious consequences.
Sarah Wiener, Green MEP and member of the Environment Committee, comments: “Ahen the Commission proposed the Farm-to-Fork strategy for a sustainable food system, it gave hope for the urgently needed agricultural transition. Measures were promised to reduce pesticides, reduce food waste and increase animal welfare, reduce antibiotics and make food labeling more transparent – but nothing remained. Only the deregulation of the new genetic engineering, which was mentioned in passing in Farm-to-Fork, is being implemented and is a disaster for agriculture, the environment and those who eat. A lack of labeling in supermarkets deprives EU citizens of their freedom of choice and the release of genetically modified organisms has unknown effects on our ecosystems. In addition, organic farming is in trouble, as it can no longer be guaranteed to produce GMO-free products due to contamination.”
Wiener reminds us of the speed with which the proposal was dealt with in the EU Parliament: “The course for new genetic engineering was set in just a few weeks of negotiations, without allowing for a broad debate and regardless of the long-term consequences. Once grown, genetically modified plants can no longer be brought back but remain part of our environment. I would like to see more respect for creation, especially from those parties that call themselves Christian Democrats. Comprehensive risk assessments for new genetic engineering are a must.”
“The promises that new genetic engineering can make plants more resilient to climate change should be viewed with caution: almost half of the genetically modified plants grown worldwide are only resistant to weed killers. Other properties such as drought resistance are not on the companies’ priority list “In addition, ecological cycles are complex and climate-friendly agriculture cannot simply be conjured up with genetic cutting. For a real agricultural transition, profound systemic changes are needed and not technofixes.”
Questions & Contact:
Ludmilla Reisinger/press spokeswoman Sarah Wiener, MEP
ludmilla.reisinger@la.europarl.europa.eu
+43 660 3213732
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