The European Commission (EC) started in April 2021 a procedure to change European regulations on some of the New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) which edit genome. These new techniques modify very precisely targeted genome of organisms. NGTs represent the techniques of the second generation of genetic engineering. They are to replace transgenesis which is a very used technique by first-generation biotechnologies, those of the XX century, and whose products are regulated as GMOs.
These regulations applied to GMOs are very heavy and particularly in the European Union (EU).
In this context, a strategic initiative to review the regulation for NGTs has been initiated at the invitation of the European Council… Consequently, a public consultation took place between April and July 2022 and its results were published in September 2022. Of the 2,300 validated responses, 80% were favourable to the revision of the EU regulations while 17% supported the maintain of current GMOs regulations to be applied to NGTs (2). Based on these results, the revision process of the EU regulations will be going to its end, and the European Commission should propose the terms of a new regulation to the European Parliament by 2023 Summer term.
