After undergoing an extensive three-year consultation process, the EU Commission’s proposal for a regulation on plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques like CRISPR-Cas (the “Proposal”) is finally available for consideration (see Proposal). Although the official presentation is scheduled for July 5, 2023, the document was leaked and reveals a significant reversal away from the existing legislation on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), especially in the 2001 GMO Directive (see Directive 2011/18/EC) and the 2003 Regulation on genetically modified food and feed (see Regulation 1829/2003/EC). A new risk-based approach leads away from strict authorization procedures and labeling requirements.
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