The European Parliament has passed a gene-editing bill to further loosen regulations on gene-edited crops

On February 7, 2024, a new report from the journal Science revealed that the European Parliament has voted to relax the regulation of gene-edited crops, which is described as a major victory for biotechnology in Europe, but the debate over patents and labeling remains.

As early as July 5, 2023, the European Commission published the first proposed regulation on New Genome technologies (NGTs) to obtain plants, to further relax the regulation of gene-edited plants. One of the root causes of Europe's long-standing doubts about genetically engineered organisms is widespread public concern, mainly focused on food safety and health issues. The European public is cautious about the safety of GM foods, fearing the possibility of unknown, long-term health risks. In addition, ethical considerations also play a role, involving respect for people and the environment. These concerns have sparked widespread debate in Europe in the past.

Behind the Gene Editing 

Europe has long been a bastion of skepticism about genetically engineered organisms, but today the European Parliament voted to ease regulation of crops produced by a form of DNA Editing (Gene Editing). Euroseeds, a trade group for plant breeders, called the vote an "important step forward" that would boost innovation and agricultural sustainability. Gene-edited plants are able to produce higher yields, better resist pests and pathogens, and reduce the need for pesticides. However, some opponents criticized the decision, fearing it could lead to more powerful agricultural monopolies.

The legislation passed by a narrow majority of 307 votes in favor and 263 against, with 41 lawmakers abstaining. Although there was cross-party support for the bill, the two main European constituencies, including the Greens, were staunchly opposed.

The decision still needs to be negotiated with EU member states, which are divided over whether to allow the patenting of gene-edited plants and whether to require labelling of food made from such crops.

Oana Dima, director of EU-SAGE, said that while there has long been considerable opposition to new genome technologies in the European Parliament, several factors have mitigated this resistance recently. She noted that the success of mRNA vaccines in COVID-19 has enhanced the reputation of biotechnology. At the same time, the threat of climate change to food production and war-related supply chain issues have increased expectations about the potential of new plant breeding technologies.

Eu-sage, a network of more than 150 European research institutes, universities and associations, has been advocating for regulatory reform since 2018, when the European Court of Justice ruled that plants created using methods such as CRISPR should be considered genetically modified organisms (GMOs) under EU law.

The researchers argue that unlike genetically modified plants, which are created by introducing foreign genes, gene-edited crops simply tweak their natural genes. The strict regulatory framework for Gmos has resulted in only a small number of these crops being approved for cultivation in Europe.

In 2019, the European Council, which represents member states, asked the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, to conduct research on new genomic technologies. The resulting document concludes that the EU's existing GMO regulations stifle innovation. In July 2023, the European Commission published a proposal for a regulation to ease restrictions on gene editing, which was put forward in Parliament. The bill states that new genomic technologies will be exempt from GMO regulations if changes can be made through conventional breeding (albeit at a slower pace). More complex genetic modifications or cases requiring foreign DNA would still be regulated under existing laws.

″Although the European Parliament now supports the approval of gene-edited crops, some members want to ban patenting of new genome technologies, arguing that it would help reduce costs for farmers. In Europe, conventionally bred plants cannot be patented in Europe. Dima said that the issue of patent protection should be discussed outside the legislation on new genomic technologies and within the framework of the European Union's patent regulations. "These are two separate issues and they should be completely separate," she said.

The European Parliament also wants all new genomic technology plants to be labelled when sold to consumers, while the European Commission believes that seeds from biotech crops exempt from GMO regulations should only be labelled to ensure that farmers know what they are growing.

The European Council has yet to agree on patents. Once that is done, it will be negotiated with the Commission and Parliament. Dima hopes this could happen before parliamentary elections in June, but it needs to happen "very quickly". In a social media post, farm lobby group Copa Cogeca called on the European Council to act quickly, saying that new genomic technologies are "practical solutions that can help our agriculture strike a balance between production and adaptation to climate change, while maintaining cutting-edge research in the EU."