European Parliament adopts its position on gene-edited plants

With the clock ticking to reach a deal before the end of the legislature, the European Parliament on Wednesday (7 February) approved its amendments on the new rules for the highly controversial new genomic technologies (NGTs).

The text was approved by the plenary with 307 votes in favour to 263 against and 41 abstentions, with a cross-party majority supporting the proposal to set a new framework for NGTs, which currently fall under the more restrictive framework for genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

MEPs from the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) and the liberal Renew group overwhelmingly backed the text, while the Greens and the Left almost unanimously rejected it. 

The votes of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) were split by geography. 

Many Socialists from southern Europe – unlike their northern counterparts – supported the law, while a number of ECR and EPP MEPs from eastern European countries – unlike other nationalities – voted against it.

Lawmakers agreed to create two categories of NGTs: gene-edited plants that are “indistinguishable” from those obtained through conventional breeding (NGT 1) – which would be exempt from the requirements of the GMO legislation – and those with more “complex modifications” (NGT 2) – which would still have to follow stricter rules.

MEPs want all products from NGT plants to have mandatory labelling. In the Commission proposal instead, the labelling of NGT 1 plants was limited to the seeds.

In line with the EU executive, MEPs voted to keep all NGTs out of organic production “as their compatibility requires further consideration”. 

While the Commission left the question of patents unanswered, MEPs agreed to introduce a full ban on patents for NGTs “to avoid legal uncertainties, increased costs and new dependencies for farmers and breeders”.

A matter of days

The ball is now in the court of the EU Council. Hours after the vote in the European Parliament, EU member states tried but failed to seal a deal as they remain divided over the patentability of NGTs. 

“There was not support from a sufficient qualified majority so Coreper [the EU ambassadors gathering] could not endorse the negotiating mandate at this stage,” EU sources told Euractiv. “The presidency will examine the situation in the coming days and see how to take work forward.”

According to sources familiar with the discussions, the Belgian Presidency of the Council introduced a few changes to reinforce the provisions on patents that Spain proposed in December when it held the rotating presidency.

Despite the changes in the compromise text, the positions of member states were substantially the same compared to the December Council, Euractiv understands.

Pascal Canfin, chair of the European Parliament’s environment committee (ENVI), told Euractiv that, if EU countries do not reach an agreement in “the next few days” it is highly unlikely that the legislation will be approved before the EU elections in June.

Mixed reactions

The European seed industry association Euroseeds celebrated the result, calling it “a significant step forward for agricultural innovation and sustainability in Europe”. 

Similarly, the EU farmers association COPA and COGECA said that NGTs would help agriculture “reconcile production and adaptation to climate change”, and that treating them as GMOs was “anachronistic from the point of view of science and farmers”. 

Meanwhile, Greenpeace campaigner Eva Corral said there was “no credible proof that [NGTs] can withstand the impacts of climate change”. 

The NGO Friends of Earth Europe acknowledged “the Parliament’s attempt to limit patents” on NGTs, but said farmers and breeders would still be exposed “to infringements lawsuits” by agribusiness corporations.

Cover photo: The European Parliament on Wednesday (7 February) adopted its position on new rules for the highly controversial new genomic technologies (NGTs), whose patentability continues to divide EU countries and with little time left to reach a deal before the end of the legislature. [European Union]