New Breeding Techniques *Monthly News* May 2019

New Breeding Techniques

*Monthly News*

Time Period: May 2019

 

The ECJ ruling on NBTs of last July continues to provide ground for debates at EU level (and not only). At the end of last month, 22 European business organizations representing a vast array of stakeholders (i.g. producers, processors and traders’ groups) expressed once again their concerns by calling for a substantive legislative change on the subject.

At the same time, the Australian government recently decided to not regulate the use of gene-editing techniquesin plants, animals and human cell lines that do not introduce new genetic material,alongside the U.S. and Japan’s examples. Russia is on the same path, having recently announced a new big investment in a federal research programme on gene-editing aimed at developing 10 new varieties of gene-edited crops and animals by 2020.

Finally, on May 14^th, on the occasion of the last Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Ministers were informed by the Dutch delegation about the follow up to the ruling of the ECJ on organisms obtained by mutagenesis. A unified EU approach regarding the implementation of the EU GMO legislation was at the core of the discussion.

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