Genome-editing in plants & animals used in food production: some technical, socio-economic and legal aspects

1 December 2015 There has been much debate for several years now on new methods of genetic engineering that can be collectively termed “genome-editing”, and used for plants and animals in food production. As two recently published legal dossiers show, these techniques are definitely covered by EU Directive 2001/18. If the new techniques were to be exempted from regulation, all plants and animals derived from them could enter the market without risk assessment and labelling, thus undermining the protection goals of EU regulation. Testbiotech today gives input at a hearing of the Committee on Agricultural and Rural Development of the European Parliament.