Tag Archive for: NGT

Final negotiations on proposed EU regulations for plants developed through genetic precision breeding have been delayed, following opposition from a group of MEPs in the European Parliament’s ENVI Committee. The group criticised the European Council and the European Commission for their inflexible stance on issues such as sustainability, labelling, and patent protection.

At the third attempt, the Polish Council Presidency has broken the resistance of the member states against the deregulation of crops produced by new genomic technologies (NGT). The new draft will enter trilogue discussions in April.

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In times of the pandemic it was called to ban patents that are related to Covid-19 vaccines, medicaments, and diagnostics and the European Parliament was in favour of it. Now there is a call from the European Parliament to ban all patents on new genomics techniques (NTG) and plants. Quo vadis?

©Pixabay.com

After two "Yes"-votes in the European Parliament’s AGRI and ENVI committees, MEPs confirmed the European Commissions draft Regulation on New Genomic Technologies in plant breeding.
 

       

On 23 January, Belgian Agri-minister David Clarinval (background, right) met with his Polish colleague Czes?aw Siekierski (center) at the Agrifish Council for bilateral talks, © Consilium

Following the AGRI Committee of the European Parliament, the lead ENVI Committee has also agreed to relax the rules for the authorisation of NGTs.

Janusz Wojciechowski, European Commissioner for Agriculture from Poland, and David Clarinval, Belgian Minister of Agriculture at the AGRI Council in November 2023 © UE

After the EU Parliament’s Agriculture (AGRI) Committee called for a patent ban on NGT-1 breeds on 8 January, the ENVI Committee will give its input to the EU Commissions draft law on new genomic techniques.

Picture: © Euroseeds

The European Court of Justice ruling from 2018 which put the latest breeding methods under the EU GMO legislation was a huge pushback for plant breeding innovation in the EU. With the proposal for a new regulation for certain new genomic techniques (NGTs) published on 5 July 2023, some faith in a rebirth of plant breeding innovation may just start to return.

Spanish outgoing Agriculture Minister Luis Planas presenting the results of the Agriculture on Monday evening. © CE

At the EU Council (10-11 December), agriculture ministers did not reach the qualified majority required to adopt the adapted version of the EU Commission’s draft regulation on new genomic techniques.

Ion Arocena; General Manager Asebio; © Asebio

Biotechnology is helping us tackle challenges such as emerging diseases, the impact of ageing in healthcare, population growth, climate change, and the green transition of the economy. Precision medicines, advanced therapies, mRNA and gene editing technologies are transforming the way diseases can be diagnosed and treated, providing life-saving solutions. Biotechnology is also at the forefront of building a sustainable economy, developing better crops, providing new protein sources, and producing bio-based materials.

marius walter - wikipedia.org

At a council meeting, a majority of EU agriculture ministers have supported the draft regulation on new genomic technologies (NGT) proposed by the EU Commission in early July.