• • • A bleak future for agricultural innovation in the EU
The EU Court of Justice ruling on the regulatory status of plants resulting from some of the latest plant breeding methods is widely seen as decisive for their practical take-up by European researchers, breeders and farmers. It is a watershed moment for the EU’s agri-food chain. Contrary to the Opinion of Advocate General, it now seems that the Court’s decision subjects [almost all] plants obtained with these methods to the EU’s regular GMO legislation with its prohibitive costs and political uncertainty of final market approval.
The European Seed Association sees this Court of Justice ruling as a missed opportunity for agricultural innovation in the EU. “It is now likely that much of the potential of these innovative methods will be lost for Europe – with significant negative economic and environmental consequences. That strikes a serious blow to European agriculture and plant science.”, says Garlich von Essen, ESA Secretary General.
Source: https://www.euroseeds.eu/bleak-future-agricultural-innovation-eu
