Great! Thanks a lot!
best
Annemarie
Von: Npos_2018 <npos_2018-bounces@testbiotech.de> Im Auftrag von ARCHE NOAH Katherine Dolan
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 16. November 2023 08:51
An: npos_2018@testbiotech.de
Betreff: [Npos_2018] WG: [New-gm-eur] Fwd: [gpeu-staff] Gene-editing sprint may run out of road
Dear all,
It is good to see that the reporting on the joint letter on patents to Agriculture Ministers in POLITICO focusses on the issue of patents on conventional breeding and the changes that are necessary to stop them – see below in yellow.
Thank you to Dagmar and Christoph for your work on this.
I lost track of whether/when a meeting with DG Grow will take place, but hopefully this prominent reporting will prompt them to take the issue a bit more seriously.
Best,
Katherine
Von: New-gm-eur <new-gm-eur-bounces@lists.corporateeurope.org> Im Auftrag von Eva Corral via New-gm-eur
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 16. November 2023 08:45
An: New-gm Eur <new-gm-eur@lists.corporateeurope.org>
Betreff: [New-gm-eur] Fwd: [gpeu-staff] Gene-editing sprint may run out of road
Good morning,
FYI, see POLITICO article on new GMOs and Council discussions (Spanish Presidency), below.
Have a nice day,
Eva
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: 'POLITICO Pro Morning Agri & Food Europe' via gpeu-staff-group <gpeu-staff-group@greenpeace.org>
Date: Thu, Nov 16, 2023 at 7:01 AM
Subject: [gpeu-staff] Gene-editing sprint may run out of road
To: <mark.breddy@greenpeace.org>
Presented by Fertilizers Europe By BARTOSZ BRZEZIŃSKI with PAULA ANDRÉS, DOUGLAS BUSVINE, CAMILLE GIJS and LOUISE GUILLOT SNEAK PEEK — A general approach among EU ministers on gene-editing rules could be "difficult" to achieve before the end of the Spanish presidency. — The EU-Mercosur trade deal will be "surgically adjusted," the EU's top negotiator says. — Civil society and farmers push for a revision of EU patent law over new gene-edited seeds. Welcome to Morning Agri | Send tips, comments and scoopy documents to: bbrzezinski@politico.eu and pandres@politico.eu | Find us on X @ThisIsBartosz and @paulandresr_, and now on Bluesky too at @thisisbartosz.bsky.social and @paulandres.bsky.social. DRIVING THE DAY GENERAL APPROACH 'DIFFICULT' WITHIN SPANISH PRESIDENCY: The Spanish presidency had hoped to agree a general approach among member states on the new gene-editing (NGTs) rules proposal, which initially enjoyed broad support. That ambition has now shrunk to reaching “a solid agreement,” said Fernando Miranda Sotillos from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Food during POLITICO’s Sustainable Future Week on Wednesday. “It’s going to be difficult to get a general approach in the Council,” he said, adding that the proposal – which the Commission submitted in July — came “late” to the presidency. Concerns persist: Miranda Sotillos noted ongoing concerns regarding the relaxation of EU rules on certain gene-edited organisms and seeds — such as coexistence with organic farming; the patentability of such seeds; and a verification process that equates some gene-edited crops (category 1) with conventional ones. Fighting the clock: “We need more time to speak broadly with member states and the [public] opinion in order to improve the proposal,” he added. But: The Spanish official defended the Commission’s proposal as “balanced,” and highlighted the sustainability benefits of these “new varieties,” such as adaptability to climate change and reduced use of pesticides. Doubling down: Miranda Sotillos called on the bloc to “make use of this opportunity” and avoid making “the same mistakes we committed with the genetically-modified organisms (GMO) regulation” — including a mistaken focus on varieties tolerant to certain herbicides. “If we fail in providing this legal framework," he added, "we are going to stay behind what is going on in the U.S. and the U.K.” — the latter having passed a Genetic Technology Act earlier this year. TRADE COMMISSION PLAYS DOWN MERCOSUR CHANGES AS ‘SURGICAL': Despite hurdles on both sides, the Commission is not reopening the EU-Mercosur agreement but is instead making “surgical adjustments,” the top EU negotiator on the deal said. “It is important that we avoid this word that everything be reopened because this will lead to a downward spiral," said Rupert Schlegelmilch, director of the Americas department at the Commission’s trade directorate at an event on Wednesday. "I don't like the word ‘reopening,' I would really talk about ‘surgical adjustments’ to really take into account what happened between 2019 and 2023.” Sure about that? Trade diplomats will be digging deeper today into what the Commission meant when it said last week that the state of current negotiations means that Brussels is no longer in a scenario where there won’t be changes to the original political agreement struck in 2019. Public procurement: As to whether the deal would need to be reopened if the health sector were exempted from the public procurement provisions of the current agreement — as Brazil requested — Schlegelmilch said this was “under discussion,” during a webinar hosted by the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE). Not during this mandate: The Commission official also said that even if the two sides reached an agreement under Brazil's Mercosur presidency (which ends December 7), it would be up to the next Parliament to vote on the deal, "unless a miracle happens." Further apart: Brazil Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira warned that his country can’t accept the current deforestation conditions. “We cannot accept restrictions and sanctions imposed on the Mercosur side," he told our colleague Suzanne Lynch in Brasília. "If this is not negotiable, then we will not have a deal. We believe that our system of monitoring is very reliable, very good and it has to be accepted by the European Union.” Vieira said Brazil has already made substantial progress on that front under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Suzanne's full story is here. Latin America vs EU at WTO: A group of Latin American countries isn’t happy about new EU rules to prevent the import of commodities driving deforestation — and they want the rest of the world to know it. Ahead of today’s meeting of the WTO's Trade and Environment Committee, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru circulated a 10-page document quizzing the EU on the regulation and its future implementation. They’re particularly worried about how this “unilateral rule” will affect trade for developing countries, especially as it's expected to “generate higher costs or barriers to trade” for small producers. Main beefs: The group criticized the fact that the EU regulation will have a “unilateral rating” of the level of deforestation risk; short deadlines to comply; and that “many aspects” of the legislation “are not clear to date,” making it difficult for them to prepare. MORE GENE-EDITING PARLIAMENT’S DEADLINE FOR AMENDMENTS: ENVI lawmakers had until Wednesday to submit their amendments to the draft report of lead negotiator Jessica Polfjärd (EPP) — with a committee vote expected on January 11. Remember: Polfjärd's draft proposes lifting a ban on the use of NGT crops in organic farming, and removing a labeling requirement for NGT seeds, among other changes to the Commission’s original proposal. 150 wishes: Socialist shadow rapporteur Christophe Clergeau has tabled nearly 150 amendments to the draft report. The main changes Clergeau requested include: a mandatory risk assessment before placing seeds on the market, as well as environmental monitoring; compulsory labeling and traceability requirements; restrictions on the patentability of new seeds; and a new approach to verifying whether NGT plants are equivalent to conventional ones. CIVIL SOCIETY AND FARMERS WANT REVISED PATENT LAW: Farmer organization La Via Campesina and NGO Greenpeace — among others — are asking agriculture ministers to pressure the Commission and the European Patent Office to clarify aspects of Europe's patent law in a letter to be sent this morning. Blurred lines: According to the letter, the current interpretation of patent law is insufficient to stop patents from being obtained on conventional breeding. “We are particularly concerned that the strategy of blurring the differences between plants obtained by conventional breeding and those obtained by genetic engineering are used by industry in two contexts: In filing patents as well as in their efforts to push to deregulate NGT organisms,” it says. This would mean that farmers and traditional breeders in particular faced increased costs, legal uncertainties and new dependencies. Demands: For this reason, the signatories ask that EU patent law elucidate a clear interpretation of "essentially biological processes," and that the scope of patents on NGT plants not impact conventional seeds “as it is the case today.” 2026 PLEDGE: To address the general concerns over patents, the Commission proposed to publish a market analysis by 2026. However, this is “too little, too late” for civil society, farmers groups and some member states. Given the importance of the issue, Finland and Lithuania want the report to be presented sooner than 2026. Moreover, Hungary has asked specific questions such as what assurances the Commission can provide that patents will not adversely affect small breeders, farmers and producers. UKRAINE RUSSIA’S PLAN TO WEAPONIZE UKRAINIAN GRAIN: Ahead of its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia planned to pillage and weaponize more than $1 billion worth of the country's grain annually, according to a report released today by international human rights law firm Global Rights Compliance. Open source: The investigation used cutting-edge open-source research, analysis and verification of photographs, videos, public statements by officials, and other digital data, all collected between December 2021 and July 2023. Focus: It focused on the occupied grain-rich regions of Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia, where the mass extraction of grain was first reported in March 2022. On capturing territory, Russian forces seized grain facilities from Ukrainian farmers and corporations, commandeered nearby transport networks, and whisked the stolen Ukrainian grain to Russia. War crimes dossier: Evidence from the report will be included in a starvation war crimes dossier that will eventually be submitted to the International Criminal Court. It reveals “an insidious backdrop whereby Russia has sought to dismantle Ukraine’s agricultural outputs, destroy livelihoods, and compound a global food crisis,” said Catriona Murdoch, partner and head of starvation portfolio at Global Rights Compliance. Systematic weaponization: Yousuf Syed Khan, senior lawyer at Global Rights Compliance, added: “The highly systematized weaponization of Ukraine's grain that we are documenting is unprecedented in modern history, and has involved extremely intricate pre-planning.” FOOD INFLATION PRICE INFLATION TO EASE NEXT YEAR: Global food commodity prices are set to fall in 2024 after three years of record highs caused by wars, adverse weather, and rising energy and input costs, according to Rabobank's annual assessment. The prices of key foods such as sugar, coffee, corn and soybeans are expected to decrease. Demand to stay weak: Despite relief on prices and availability, the bank still predicts that demand will remain weak as consumers continue to deal with economic challenges, including high inflation and interest rates. Wheat volatility: In other key markets, such as wheat, uncertainty will persist due to climate change impacts and potential restrictions on Russian exports. Russia’s 2024 harvest will likely remain above 87 million metric tons, subject to weather and export restrictions, according to the bank. Moscow's war in Ukraine will also continue to affect production and will lead to a shrinking exportable surplus. AGRICULTURAL RESERVE AGRI LAWMAKERS DISCUSS CRISIS BUDGET: AGRI MEPs will discuss the agricultural reserve this morning, a €450 million annual emergency budget within EU farming funds that has already been used to aid member states after climate disasters and market disturbances. An exchange of views with the Commission “on lessons learnt and ways forward” to improve use the reserve will kick off after the committee votes at around 9:30 a.m. CLIMATE CHANGE 5 WAYS CLIMATE CHANGE WILL KILL US: The latest Lancet Countdown report on health and climate change details the dire health consequences of rising temperatures and increasing energy emissions, beyond immediate threats to life from disasters such as megafires and floods. “There is an enormous human cost to inaction, and we can’t afford this level of disengagement — we are paying in lives,” said Marina Romanello, executive director of Lancet Countdown at University College London. Among the main health threats: lack of food. The report estimates that heat waves alone could add 524 million people to the ranks of those experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity by the 2041–2060 period. Read more from our health colleague Ashleigh.
Presented by Fertilizers Europe
|
By BARTOSZ BRZEZIŃSKI
with PAULA ANDRÉS, DOUGLAS BUSVINE, CAMILLE GIJS and LOUISE GUILLOT
SNEAK PEEK |
— A general approach among EU ministers on gene-editing rules could be “difficult” to achieve before the end of the Spanish presidency.
— The EU-Mercosur trade deal will be “surgically adjusted,” the EU’s top negotiator says.
— Civil society and farmers push for a revision of EU patent law over new gene-edited seeds.
Welcome to Morning Agri | Send tips, comments and scoopy documents to: bbrzezinski@politico.eu and pandres@politico.eu | Find us on X @ThisIsBartosz and @paulandresr_, and now on Bluesky too at @thisisbartosz.bsky.social and @paulandres.bsky.social.
DRIVING THE DAY |
GENERAL APPROACH ‘DIFFICULT’ WITHIN SPANISH PRESIDENCY: The Spanish presidency had hoped to agree a general approach among member states on the new gene-editing (NGTs) rules proposal, which initially enjoyed broad support. That ambition has now shrunk to reaching “a solid agreement,” said Fernando Miranda Sotillos from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Food during POLITICO’s Sustainable Future Week on Wednesday.
“It’s going to be difficult to get a general approach in the Council,” he said, adding that the proposal – which the Commission submitted in July — came “late” to the presidency.
Concerns persist: Miranda Sotillos noted ongoing concerns regarding the relaxation of EU rules on certain gene-edited organisms and seeds — such as coexistence with organic farming; the patentability of such seeds; and a verification process that equates some gene-edited crops (category 1) with conventional ones.
Fighting the clock: “We need more time to speak broadly with member states and the [public] opinion in order to improve the proposal,” he added.
But: The Spanish official defended the Commission’s proposal as “balanced,” and highlighted the sustainability benefits of these “new varieties,” such as adaptability to climate change and reduced use of pesticides.
Doubling down: Miranda Sotillos called on the bloc to “make use of this opportunity” and avoid making “the same mistakes we committed with the genetically-modified organisms (GMO) regulation” — including a mistaken focus on varieties tolerant to certain herbicides.
“If we fail in providing this legal framework,” he added, “we are going to stay behind what is going on in the U.S. and the U.K.” — the latter having passed a Genetic Technology Act earlier this year.
|
TRADE |
COMMISSION PLAYS DOWN MERCOSUR CHANGES AS ‘SURGICAL’: Despite hurdles on both sides, the Commission is not reopening the EU-Mercosur agreement but is instead making “surgical adjustments,” the top EU negotiator on the deal said.
“It is important that we avoid this word that everything be reopened because this will lead to a downward spiral,” said Rupert Schlegelmilch, director of the Americas department at the Commission’s trade directorate at an event on Wednesday. “I don’t like the word ‘reopening,’ I would really talk about ‘surgical adjustments’ to really take into account what happened between 2019 and 2023.”
Sure about that? Trade diplomats will be digging deeper today into what the Commission meant when it said last week that the state of current negotiations means that Brussels is no longer in a scenario where there won’t be changes to the original political agreement struck in 2019.
Public procurement: As to whether the deal would need to be reopened if the health sector were exempted from the public procurement provisions of the current agreement — as Brazil requested — Schlegelmilch said this was “under discussion,” during a webinar hosted by the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE).
Not during this mandate: The Commission official also said that even if the two sides reached an agreement under Brazil’s Mercosur presidency (which ends December 7), it would be up to the next Parliament to vote on the deal, “unless a miracle happens.”
Further apart: Brazil Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira warned that his country can’t accept the current deforestation conditions.
“We cannot accept restrictions and sanctions imposed on the Mercosur side,” he told our colleague Suzanne Lynch in Brasília. “If this is not negotiable, then we will not have a deal. We believe that our system of monitoring is very reliable, very good and it has to be accepted by the European Union.” Vieira said Brazil has already made substantial progress on that front under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Suzanne’s full story is here.
Latin America vs EU at WTO: A group of Latin American countries isn’t happy about new EU rules to prevent the import of commodities driving deforestation — and they want the rest of the world to know it.
Ahead of today’s meeting of the WTO’s Trade and Environment Committee, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru circulated a 10-page document quizzing the EU on the regulation and its future implementation.
They’re particularly worried about how this “unilateral rule” will affect trade for developing countries, especially as it’s expected to “generate higher costs or barriers to trade” for small producers.
Main beefs: The group criticized the fact that the EU regulation will have a “unilateral rating” of the level of deforestation risk; short deadlines to comply; and that “many aspects” of the legislation “are not clear to date,” making it difficult for them to prepare.
**A message from Fertilizers Europe: Did you know, farmland covers almost 40% of the European territory? And that out of the 9.1 million European farms, 2.9 million are in Romania? Farm structure, climate and soil condition vary significantly across Europe. Discover how the fertilizers industry is helping farmers achieve 70% nutrient use efficiency by 2030.**
MORE GENE-EDITING |
PARLIAMENT’S DEADLINE FOR AMENDMENTS: ENVI lawmakers had until Wednesday to submit their amendments to the draft report of lead negotiator Jessica Polfjärd (EPP) — with a committee vote expected on January 11.
Remember: Polfjärd’s draft proposes lifting a ban on the use of NGT crops in organic farming, and removing a labeling requirement for NGT seeds, among other changes to the Commission’s original proposal.
150 wishes: Socialist shadow rapporteur Christophe Clergeau has tabled nearly 150 amendments to the draft report.
The main changes Clergeau requested include: a mandatory risk assessment before placing seeds on the market, as well as environmental monitoring; compulsory labeling and traceability requirements; restrictions on the patentability of new seeds; and a new approach to verifying whether NGT plants are equivalent to conventional ones.
CIVIL SOCIETY AND FARMERS WANT REVISED PATENT LAW: Farmer organization La Via Campesina and NGO Greenpeace — among others — are asking agriculture ministers to pressure the Commission and the European Patent Office to clarify aspects of Europe’s patent law in a letter to be sent this morning.
Blurred lines: According to the letter, the current interpretation of patent law is insufficient to stop patents from being obtained on conventional breeding. “We are particularly concerned that the strategy of blurring the differences between plants obtained by conventional breeding and those obtained by genetic engineering are used by industry in two contexts: In filing patents as well as in their efforts to push to deregulate NGT organisms,” it says.
This would mean that farmers and traditional breeders in particular faced increased costs, legal uncertainties and new dependencies.
Demands: For this reason, the signatories ask that EU patent law elucidate a clear interpretation of “essentially biological processes,” and that the scope of patents on NGT plants not impact conventional seeds “as it is the case today.”
2026 PLEDGE: To address the general concerns over patents, the Commission proposed to publish a market analysis by 2026. However, this is “too little, too late” for civil society, farmers groups and some member states.
Given the importance of the issue, Finland and Lithuania want the report to be presented sooner than 2026. Moreover, Hungary has asked specific questions such as what assurances the Commission can provide that patents will not adversely affect small breeders, farmers and producers.
**POLITICO’s Global Playbook takes you behind the scenes at COP. As part of the major global events that shape international policy, our newsletter delivers daily reporting on green policy shifts taking place at COP28. Want to get them in your inbox? Sign up here.**
UKRAINE |
RUSSIA’S PLAN TO WEAPONIZE UKRAINIAN GRAIN: Ahead of its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia planned to pillage and weaponize more than $1 billion worth of the country’s grain annually, according to a report released today by international human rights law firm Global Rights Compliance.
Open source: The investigation used cutting-edge open-source research, analysis and verification of photographs, videos, public statements by officials, and other digital data, all collected between December 2021 and July 2023.
Focus: It focused on the occupied grain-rich regions of Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia, where the mass extraction of grain was first reported in March 2022. On capturing territory, Russian forces seized grain facilities from Ukrainian farmers and corporations, commandeered nearby transport networks, and whisked the stolen Ukrainian grain to Russia.
War crimes dossier: Evidence from the report will be included in a starvation war crimes dossier that will eventually be submitted to the International Criminal Court. It reveals “an insidious backdrop whereby Russia has sought to dismantle Ukraine’s agricultural outputs, destroy livelihoods, and compound a global food crisis,” said Catriona Murdoch, partner and head of starvation portfolio at Global Rights Compliance.
Systematic weaponization: Yousuf Syed Khan, senior lawyer at Global Rights Compliance, added: “The highly systematized weaponization of Ukraine’s grain that we are documenting is unprecedented in modern history, and has involved extremely intricate pre-planning.”
FOOD INFLATION |
PRICE INFLATION TO EASE NEXT YEAR: Global food commodity prices are set to fall in 2024 after three years of record highs caused by wars, adverse weather, and rising energy and input costs, according to Rabobank’s annual assessment. The prices of key foods such as sugar, coffee, corn and soybeans are expected to decrease.
Demand to stay weak: Despite relief on prices and availability, the bank still predicts that demand will remain weak as consumers continue to deal with economic challenges, including high inflation and interest rates.
Wheat volatility: In other key markets, such as wheat, uncertainty will persist due to climate change impacts and potential restrictions on Russian exports.
Russia’s 2024 harvest will likely remain above 87 million metric tons, subject to weather and export restrictions, according to the bank. Moscow’s war in Ukraine will also continue to affect production and will lead to a shrinking exportable surplus.
AGRICULTURAL RESERVE |
AGRI LAWMAKERS DISCUSS CRISIS BUDGET: AGRI MEPs will discuss the agricultural reserve this morning, a €450 million annual emergency budget within EU farming funds that has already been used to aid member states after climate disasters and market disturbances.
An exchange of views with the Commission “on lessons learnt and ways forward” to improve use the reserve will kick off after the committee votes at around 9:30 a.m.
CLIMATE CHANGE |
5 WAYS CLIMATE CHANGE WILL KILL US: The latest Lancet Countdown report on health and climate change details the dire health consequences of rising temperatures and increasing energy emissions, beyond immediate threats to life from disasters such as megafires and floods.
“There is an enormous human cost to inaction, and we can’t afford this level of disengagement — we are paying in lives,” said Marina Romanello, executive director of Lancet Countdown at University College London.
Among the main health threats: lack of food. The report estimates that heat waves alone could add 524 million people to the ranks of those experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity by the 2041–2060 period.
Read more from our health colleague Ashleigh.
**A message from Fertilizers Europe: Soil is a complex matter, composed of a mixture of minerals, organic matter, gases, liquids and countless organisms. Soils are highly diverse in their characteristics, nutrient content and ecosystem services provided, that are strictly linked to the functions of the soil itself. Assessing soil health goes beyond a single parameter and it requires a comprehensive index that incorporates various indicators to provide a more complete picture of the soil's overall health and quality. This assessment should also consider soil function, encompassing factors like nutrient levels, organic matter content, pH, microbial activity, physical structure, and the soil's ability to support plant growth and ecosystem services. By integrating these diverse aspects, we can gain a deeper understanding of soil health, which is crucial for making informed decisions in agriculture and environmental management.**
Headlines |
Here’s a recap of yesterday’s news, along with Pro articles and alerts from overnight.
Ten more years: Emmanuel Macron’s broken glyphosate promise
Despite pledging to ban the herbicide, France is set to abstain in an EU vote, meaning it will probably survive at least another 10 years.
By Bartosz Brzeziński · Nov 15, 2023, 7:32 PM
EU and Chile set to sign association accord on December 21
By Camille Gijs · Nov 15, 2023, 4:49 PM
Hunters press von der Leyen to revise rules for shooting wolves
Group urges European Commission to ‘move quickly.’
By Louise Guillot · Nov 15, 2023, 1:35 PM
Brazil threatens no deal on Mercosur over deforestation rules
Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira tells POLITICO that Brazil cannot accept conditions on deforestation.
By Suzanne Lynch · Nov 15, 2023, 1:15 PM
Hands off our Camembert! France kicks up a stink over draft EU recycling law
Brussels risks another ‘bendy banana’ PR disaster over single-use packaging.
By Jakob Hanke Vela, Claudia Chiappa · Nov 15, 2023, 9:16 AM
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