Options to Reform the European Union Legislation on GMOs: Post-authorization and Beyond

Dennis Eriksson; René Custers; Karin Edvardsson Björnberg; Sven Ove Hansson; Kai Purnhagen; Matin Qaim; Jörg Romeis; Joachim Schiemann; Stephan Schleissing; Jale Tosun; Richard G F Visser

doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2019.12.015

Options to Reform the European Union Legislation on GMOs: Post-authorization and Beyond

Trends Biotechnol. 2020 May;38(5):465-467. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2019.12.015. Epub 2020 Feb 12.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 23053 Alnarp, Sweden. Electronic address: dennis.eriksson@slu.se.
² VIB, Rijvisschestraat 120, Ghent BE-9052, Belgium.
³ Division of Philosophy, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 76, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden.
⁴ Division of Philosophy, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 76, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
⁵ Law Group, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University, Hollandseweg 1, 6706, KN, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Rotterdam Institute of Law and Economics, Law School, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Burg. Oudlaan 50, 3062, PA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
⁶ Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, University of Goettingen, 37073 Goettingen, Germany.
⁷ Research Division Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland.
⁸ Institute for Biosafety in Plant Biotechnology, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), 06484 Quedlinburg, Germany.
⁹ Institute of Technology-Theology-Natural Sciences at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80539 München, Germany.
¹⁰ Institute of Political Science, Heidelberg University, Bergheimer Strasse 58, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Center for the Environment, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 229, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
¹¹ Plant Breeding, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 386, 6700AJ Wageningen, The Netherlands.

PMID: 32302577
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2019.12.015

Abstract

We discuss options to reform the EU genetically modified organism (GMO) regulatory framework, make risk assessment and decision-making more consistent with scientific principles, and lay the groundwork for international coherence. In this third of three articles, we focus on labeling and coexistence as well as discuss the political reality and potential ways forward.

Keywords: EU; GMO; coexistence; labeling; legislative reform.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biotechnology / ethics*
Biotechnology / legislation & jurisprudence
Decision Making / ethics*
European Union*
Food, Genetically Modified
Humans
Plants, Genetically Modified / genetics*
Risk Assessment / legislation & jurisprudence