The Netherlands and Estonia are leading a coalition of 14 EU member states calling on the next European Commission to update EU GMO laws with regard to so-called new plant breeding techniques (NPBTs).
12 other EU member states supported the discussion point added by the Dutch delegation to the last meeting of EU agriculture ministers, which took place last week (14 May).
In addition to the Netherlands and Estonia, the list of EU countries supporting a “unified approach” to NPBTs includes Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.
According to an EU source, the group of countries requested a common EU approach on gene editing and called for a revision of EU GMO rules to be added to the working programme of the next European Commission.
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According to an EU source, the Dutch government considers that innovative breeding techniques can play an important role in the much-needed shift towards a more sustainable agriculture.
Read full, original article: 14 EU countries call for ‘unified approach’ to gene editing in plants
