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ENGA Newsletter No. 17 : January 2024

Dear Readers,

On 24 January, the Environment Committee of the European Parliament, the lead committee for the dossier on New GMOs (or New Genomic Techniques, NGTs), agreed to a deregulation, largely in accordance with the EU Commission’s proposal from July 2023.
 
Now all eyes are on the Parliament’s plenary session, scheduled between the 5-8 February 2024. In its press release commenting the ENVI vote, ENGA calls for a postponement of the plenary vote: The scientific basis for far-reaching deregulation - the criteria by which NGTs are to be classified as equivalent to conventional breeding - remains exceedingly doubtful, the patent issue is unresolved, the food sector and consumers are actively denied transparency and freedom of choice. This is a step backwards on one of the most controversial issues in food: something I never thought possible.    

Should the Parliament’s plenary give the greenlight, it can start the inter-institutional negotiations, known as ‘trilogues’ – assuming that the third trilogue member, the Council, has found a common position, a process the Belgian Presidency is trying to finalise.

Then the clock starts ticking: If by the end of April, the last session of the Parliament in this legislature, there is no final legislative text for the parliamentarians to vote on, a newly elected Commission and a newly elected Parliament will take over the dossier.

What can food companies do? Keep on fighting! For the right to know whether there are New GMOs in food they can join an initiative started by five German companies three weeks ago and now supported by 250 entrepreneurs. 

Please support us by distributing this newsletter within your network. To regularly receive our newsletter and get all the latest updates on Non-GMO in Europe, subscribe. Also keep in touch with ENGA by following us on LinkedIn and X.

Please feel free to inform your partners and networks about the work and goals of ENGA, and to increase our strength on the European market and towards the European regulatory bodies by having as many business platforms and companies as possible join our cause.

Kind regards,

Heike Moldenhauer

Secretary General

Environment Committee gave New GMOs deregulation a go-ahead – trilogue not started

Last week, in a blow to all those who wish to know what is in their food, especially if it contains GMOs, the European Parliament's ENVI Committee (the lead Committee on the New Genomic Techniques legislation) gave the go-ahead to a deregulation of New GMOs, taking a position similar to that of the European Commission's proposal. ENGA has an in-depth analysis of what the Committee has put forward for the Plenary of the European Parliament to vote on in early February. 

Food companies across Europe raise their voices against deregulation of New GMOs

Food companies across Europe are not ready to stand by and let EU legislators decide on the future of their industry withough their say-so. Showing a united front, over 200 well-known German food companies and more than 40 European ones, have signed an open letter to Manfred Weber, head of the largest group in the European Parliament, the EPP, calling on him to advocate for the preservation of labelling and freedom of choice in genetically engineered food. Read more and sign up to the initiative: the Right to Know Whether There Are New GMOs in Food.

European Non-GMO Industry Association

ENGA (AISBL)
Rue du Monastère 10-12
1000 Bruxelles
Belgium

Telephone: +32 493 3354 91
Email: info(at)enga(dot)org
Website: www.enga.org