The European Commission recently published a STUDY regarding the status of New Genomic Techniques under Union law.
There are clear indications on both benefits and concerns associated to NGT products, their current and future applications. NGT products have the potential to contribute to sustainable agri-food systems in line with the objectives of the European Green Deal and Farm to Fork Strategy.
There is considerable interest for NGT-related research in the EU. For many EU countries and stakeholders, the current regulatory framework has a negative impact on EU public and private research and innovation in NGTs.
In the pharmaceutical sector, NGT would allow faster, more affordable development of medicinal products and would have the potential to tackle currently unmet medical needs.
The main concerns however, are related to their possible safety and environmental impact, including on biodiversity, coexistence with organic and genetically modified -free agriculture, as well as labelling and consumers’ right to information and freedom of choice. Stakeholders have different and often opposing views on these aspects.
Therefore, can the New Genomic Techniques promote the sustainability of agricultural production, in line with the objectives of “Farm to Fork Strategy”?