FYI

Coincidentally, the first example they cite is a Rijk Zwaan patent on lettuce…

Von: New-gm-eur <new-gm-eur-bounces@lists.corporateeurope.org> Im Auftrag von Helene Schmutzler via New-gm-eur
Gesendet: Freitag, 26. Jänner 2024 13:02
An: new-gm-eur@lists.corporateeurope.org; lukasz.janeczko@instytut.lodz.pl
Betreff: Re: [New-gm-eur] Belgium still trying

Hello all,

In the meantime, we received the following information about the presidencies’ effort to get Poland on board: Latest news is that the Polish Ministry is still against the proposal, mainly because of the possibility of no opt-out measures. The Belgian presidency knows that the Polish minister is not ready to vote yes. So, they send a new text proposal to Polish Government and address Tusk directly to convince POL to vote yes. They have time until Tuesday to decide.

We are mobilizing our Polish members, who have also been doing excellent work in the Coalition of Living Land (coalition of 22 NGOs), to see if they may be able to do a public communication on this.

Warm regards,

Helene Schmutzler (She/her)		Rue Marie-Thérèse 11
Policy Coordinator on GMOs and Animal Welfare	+32 2 41 65 232	BE - 1000 Brussels
	www.organicseurope.bio	VAT number: BE 0881.175.417

	Representing the entire organic food chain in European policymaking. Advocating for a transformation of food and farming based on the principles of organic agriculture – health, ecology, fairness and care. Subscribe to our newsletter

From: New-gm-eur <new-gm-eur-bounces@lists.corporateeurope.org> On Behalf Of Mute Schimpf via New-gm-eur
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2024 6:55 PM
To: new-gm-eur@lists.corporateeurope.org
Subject: Re: [New-gm-eur] Belgium still trying

Dear all,

Thanks for the update, not everybody might have read it, shared by Nina this week, in Politico it was mentioned that now three more governments are reluctant to support the proposal in Council/Coreper.

We haven't figured yet, which ones.

I would say, enough to do us in Germany to push the minister for more ambitious demands on coexistence and patents,

Reach out to official in Greece and Cyprus that a recital about coexistence is legally to weak to protect their agriculture on island

In Romania to reaffirm that export markets are threatened with hidden contamination of NGT1

Refresh the memory of Luxembourg that they always opposed GMOs

Check in Austria, Croatia, HUngary Slovenia and Slovakia what the thinking and debate in the ministries are if they can share insides with us.

Best

Mute

On 25/01/2024 13:12, ACHTERBERG Franziska via New-gm-eur wrote:

Hi,

While Planas claims there is no chance to get this done before the elections, the Belgians are still trying. I hear they are now talking to PL about waiving licencing fees for small breeders, to "solve" the patent issue. They may also try to "sell" them something on trade with Ukraine.

The Belgian Presidency has put the item on next week's COREPER agenda...

Let's remain vigilant in PL, FR and other countries that Belgium could bring into the majority.

Best,

Franziska

------

Franziska Achterberg

Biodiversity Campaigner

Greens/EFA Group, European Parliament

e. Franziska.Achterberg@europarl.europa.eu

t. +32 2 284 3077

m. +32 498 362 403

-----Original Message-----
From: New-gm-eur <new-gm-eur-bounces@lists.corporateeurope.org> On Behalf Of anthony.jackson--- via New-gm-eur
Sent: 25 January 2024 11:03
To: new-gm-eur@lists.corporateeurope.org
Subject: [New-gm-eur] “[NGTs] are a battle that will continue for months to come,”

“[NGTs] are a battle that will continue for months to come,” French

socialist MEP Christophe Cleargeau, shadow rapporteur on the file, told

Euractiv after the committee meeting, adding that the vote was “just the

beginning”.

The EU Council will “not be able to conclude the dossier” before the end

of the legislative mandate, but it could “make progress” on some issues,

Spanish agriculture minister Luis Planas said before the AGRIFISH

meeting on Tuesday.

https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/eu-parliament-gives-first-green-light-to-new-rules-for-gene-edited-plants/

EU Parliament gives first green light to new rules for gene-edited

plants

By Maria Simon Arboleas | EURACTIV

Est. 4min 24 Jan 2024

Content-Type:

News

MEPs in the European Parliament’s ENVI Committee voted on the

Commission’s proposal for new rules on innovative types of gene-edited

plans, which currently fall under the more restrictive genetically

modified organisms (GMO) framework. [European Union]

The European Parliament’s Environment Committee (ENVI) approved on

Wednesday (24 January) new rules for new genomic techniques (NGTs). The

plenary will vote in two weeks, but doubts remain on whether a law can

be approved before the elections.

MEPs in the European Parliament’s ENVI Committee on Wednesday voted on

the Commission’s proposal for new rules on innovative types of

gene-edited plans, which currently fall under the more restrictive

genetically modified organisms (GMO) framework.

With 47 votes in favour to 31 against and 4 abstentions, a right-leaning

majority agreed to set two categories of NGTs: gene-edited plants that

are “indistinguishable” from those obtained through conventional

breeding (NGT 1) – which would be exempted from the requirements of the

GMO legislation – and those with more “complex modifications” (NGT 2) –

which would follow stricter rules.

In line with the Commission’s proposal, presented in July, MEPs agreed

that NGT seeds must be labelled accordingly but that there would be no

mandatory labelling at consumer level for the NGT 1 products.

Lawmakers also voted to keep all NGTs out of organic production –

claiming their compatibility “requires further attention” – and to

prevent EU countries from banning them in their territory.

While the EU executive decided to leave the question of patents

unanswered, MEPs voted to introduce a full ban on patents for NGTs “to

avoid legal uncertainties, increased costs and new dependencies for

farmers and breeders”.

However, the EU organics association IFOAM said in a press release that

addressing the issue of patents “with an amendment and a report” was

“wishful thinking”.

Despite the proposed new rules for NGTs, the overarching legal framework

for biotechnologies has remained unchanged, i.e. the 1998 directive on

the legal protection of biotechnological interventions.

“It’s just the beginning”

“[NGTs] are a battle that will continue for months to come,” French

socialist MEP Christophe Cleargeau, shadow rapporteur on the file, told

Euractiv after the committee meeting, adding that the vote was “just the

beginning”.

The European Parliament is expected to vote on the proposed law in

plenary on 6 February, but it is uncertain whether the Parliament and

the Council will be able to strike a deal before the end of the

legislature.

EU countries are still discussing it under the Belgian Presidency of the

EU council.

The biggest rift between member states is over the patentability of

NGT-based products, according to sources close to the matter.

The EU Council will “not be able to conclude the dossier” before the end

of the legislative mandate, but it could “make progress” on some issues,

Spanish agriculture minister Luis Planas said before the AGRIFISH

meeting on Tuesday.

On the same day, Polish Agriculture Minister Czesław Siekierski insisted

that Poland – one of the member states seen as key to unlocking the

dossier – does not want “to allow the patenting of NGT 1 plants”.

Greens and NGOs react

At the ENVI meeting, Green MEP Martin Hausling accused the Commission of

“not bearing in mind consumer rights”, adding that there is “no

guarantee” that NGT plants would not pose a lower risk for human health

and the environment.

Many NGOs also sounded the alarm about the potential risks of NGTs,

which they claim should be regulated as GMOs.

Greenpeace said in a press release that the law could violate EU

principles “because rules on safety checks, labelling and traceability

are removed or watered down”.

“[The law] could also violate the fundamental rights of farmers to

property and the freedom to run a business,” reads the press statement,

“because it does not provide sufficient protection against the

contamination of crops with new GMOs”.

IFOAM called for a delay of the plenary vote, claiming the committee

vote left “many issues unsolved” – such as measures to ensure

coexistence between organic and conventional farming.

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