Dear colleagues, The European Parliament’s ENVI and SANT committees are scheduled to vote on the Commission’s proposal on genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs) on 10 November 2026, followed by a plenary vote of the full European Parliament planned for 25 November 2026. These dates may still change. Academics are invited to sign an open letter calling on the European Commission to suspend this draft directive. The letter is short, about a three-minute read. You can read and sign it, in English or French, at: GMmicrobes.eu – https://gmmicrobes.eu Signatures remain valuable at any time, including after the November votes. The letter was first published in Le Monde on 13 October 2026, signed by 62 researchers and academics. It is organised by Frédéric Jacquemart (Groupement international d’études transdisciplinaires). The main points:
Request: the European Commission should suspend its draft directive relaxing EU rules on the commercial use of GMMs. Democratic concerns: bundling GMMs with organ-transplant techniques in one fast-tracked proposal blurs public debate and obscures GMM-specific risks. No impact assessment was carried out. Microbes matter: they underpin soil fertility, nutrient and carbon cycles, ocean functioning, and human microbiota and immunity, linking environmental and human health. Specific risks: GMMs reproduce fast, spread widely and exchange genes horizontally, threatening public health, antibiotic resistance, food safety and ecosystems. Call: precaution, systemic risk assessment and broad public debate before any decision.
Signing takes only a minute. Your email address is never published, and you can withdraw your signature at any time using “Remove my name” on the website. If you have questions about the letter, you can contact its organiser, Frédéric Jacquemart, through the contact form on the site. Please feel free to forward this message to colleagues who may wish to sign.
On behalf of Frédéric Jacquemart, Groupement international d’études transdisciplinaires