Reassessment of genetic engineering: the Greens [allemands] leave the door open to CRISPR/Cas

Reassessment of genetic engineering: the Greens [allemands] leave the door open to CRISPR/Cas

Johanna Michel, AGRICULTURAL HEUTE*

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With its future strategy for research and development, the Federal Cabinet wants to create better framework conditions for plant breeders. In the decision, the Greens nor do they rule out future use of the CRISPR/Cas process.

The federal government yesterday (February 8, 2023) adopted its future strategy for research and development. There might be a chance for the cultivation of green genetically engineered plants, including the CRISPR/Cas process.

The strategy for the future must make it possible to improve research work in the field of plant breeding. The goal of the federal government is to contribute to global food security without endangering biodiversity and climate protection.

The government wants to reassess green genetic engineering taking into account all the chances and all the risks. Concretely, the CRISPR/Cas genetic scissors method should also be considered.

The government’s coalition agreement traffic lights only mentions the goal of growing climate-resistant plant varieties. THE Greenswith whom theopenness to genetic engineering green has only been short-lived in recent years, thus show a new disposition to discuss.

The Federal Government must position itself on green genetic engineering at EU level

In its future strategy for research and development, the federal government states that it wants to be involved constructively in the negotiations on a new version of European legislation on genetic engineering. It is regarding strengthening the framework conditions for sustainable and resilient plant breeding research ».

Tuesday (February 7, 2023), the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) has rendered a judgment specifying that processes using rays or chemicals (random mutagenesis in vitro) are not considered genetic engineering [ce n’est pas exact, c’est la phrase qui vient qui est juste]. Plants treated in this way are therefore not subject to the authorization and labeling requirements provided for by European legislation on genetic engineering.

The CJEU assesses the CRISPR/Cas process differently. In 2018, judges ruled that EU genetic engineering law applied to “ genetic scissors ».

L’Industriverband Agrar (IVA) welcomes the cabinet’s decision on the future strategy for research and development

L’Industriverband Agrar (IVA) expressly welcomes Germany’s commitment to innovation-friendly framework conditions in the EU. Advances in plant breeding must be transferred to agricultural practice. The federal government, he notes, has highlighted the CRISPR/Cas process for the development of new climate-resistant and high-yielding varieties in its strategy for the future. ” Only through research and innovation can we achieve climate, environmental and performance goals in agriculture said Mrs. Heike Köhler, Chair of the Plant Breeding Department of theIVA.

With material from AgE

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* Johanna Michel has been working since 2020 as a cross-media editor at AGRICULTURAL TODAY. An employee specializing in media and information services, she first worked in the administration of the Bundestag German and followed, in parallel, studies of agronomy at the Humboldt University of Berlin. Within the Operations and Markets Department, she is particularly interested in the implementation of agricultural policy decisions due to her knowledge of legislation.

Source : Reassess genetic engineering: Greens keep door open for CRISPR/Cas | agrarheute.com