Hungarian Presidency to Relaunch Debate on Deregulation of GMOs

This article was originally published in English

It did not take long for the choices of Hungary, which has held the EU presidency since the beginning of July, to spark controversy. From the first days of its mandate, which is to last six months, Budapest had caused a stir when Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán made two trips – heavy with symbolism – one to Moscow and the other to Beijing.

This time, the disagreements are over GMOs. Hungary is challenging a proposal to consider a new generation of GMOs as equivalent to organisms resulting from conventional selection.

In a document dated July 3, seen by Euronews, the Hungarian presidency notes an “impasse” between member states since the European Commission proposed last year a deregulation of certain types of genetically modified crops.

The regulation on new genomic techniques would make it possible to limit the obligations with regard to a new category of crops created.

Belgium came close to reaching a compromise position on the proposal as it sought to clear a legislative backlog, but failed in the latest attempt due to lingering concerns about the patentability of such new plant products, which critics say could lead to monopolies and limit choice for farmers.

Anti-GM campaigners welcomed the new delay, which they said would give lawmakers time to discuss broader aspects of risk assessment and consider an opinion from ANSES, France’s health and food safety regulator, which has objected to next-generation products being considered equivalent to conventionally grown crops.

It now appears that this period could be extended further, as Hungary seeks to reopen the debate on this equivalence, arguing that an assessment based solely on the number and significance of genetic modifications may not be sufficient to establish the risk posed by a new genetically modified product compared to a conventional crop with a long safety history.

Other issues raised range from labelling and identification of genetically modified plants to exports and the compatibility of the proposed deregulation with the United Nations Cartagena Protocol on biosafety.

As Hungary seeks to reopen the debate, the European Food Safety Authority published a long-awaited assessment of the French proposal on July 10, concluding that plants with genetic modifications up to the proposed threshold for “category 1” plants could arise spontaneously or through random mutation.

“Therefore, it is scientifically justified to consider Category 1 NGT plants as equivalent to conventionally bred plants with respect to the similarity of genetic modifications and the similarity of potential risks,” wrote EFSA.

“We consider the approach of the document [hongrois] as an attempt to slow down the adoption of the proposal and progress towards appropriate, science-based regulation,” Ms Jorasch told Euronews.

Greenpeace activist Eva Corral denounced the EFSA opinion, which she said also contradicted the conclusions of the Austrian and German environmental agencies, UBA and BfN.

“EFSA’s opinion contradicts European national agencies, including ANSES in France, which warn of the potential risks of new GMOs for human health and the environment and demand that all new GMOs be subject to safety and monitoring checks,” she says.

The European Parliament has already decided on its position on the reform of GMO regulations and is awaiting an intergovernmental agreement to move the process forward.