Stark-Watzinger (FDP), Federal Minister for Education and Research, is in favor of new EU rules for plant genetic engineering.
Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) calls for a relaxation of the EU regulations for genetically modified plants and is thus distancing itself from the Federal Ministry for the Environment. So-called “new breeding techniques” are a huge opportunity, Stark-Watzinger told our editorial team. They could be used to fight hunger in the world, make crops more resistant to climate or drought and secure a leading position in green biotechnology for Germany. “We need this progress. We should at the biotechnology Don’t make the mistake of unsubscribing from the future,” emphasized the FDP politician.
The EU Commission plans to revise the EU genetic engineering rules
In June, the EU Commission wants to present a long-awaited proposal for the revision of the EU genetic engineering rules submit: It is expected that plant breeding methods using new genomic techniques will be exempted from the current strict rules, which could mean that risk assessment and corresponding product labeling could be omitted. This involves interventions with which plant properties such as drought tolerance are genetically modified.
Stark-Watzinger said that there is good scientific evidence that gene-edited crops without foreign DNA pose no different risk than conventionally bred plants. Made with the gene scissors Crispr/Cas genetic changes are even much more precise than previous methods, which are not subject to any special regulation. That from the EU Commission Any planned update of genetic engineering law must therefore be based on the current state of science and be designed in an innovation-friendly manner.
Federal Environment Ministry warns of easing
Against that had Federal Environment Ministry recently warned that the EU Commission’s drive to weaken risk assessment for crops based on new genomic techniques is going in the wrong direction. The Austrian government has also spoken out against a relaxation. Stark-Watzinger, on the other hand, explained that the previous EU law dates back to the 1990s and was completely outdated. “All the more surprising that some don’t want to change anything about it,” added the minister. (fmg)
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