b'Legally seized by the French Council of State (Conseil dEtat),and established techniques of genetic modification". It calls for the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on products obtainedthe characteristics of the final product to be evaluated instead of by directed mutagenesis (thus in particular obtained by genomelegislating from the method of obtaining. It stresses the need to editing). By a judgment of 25 July 2018, the Court ruled thatcreate a regulatory environment conducive to innovation so that the products obtained by mutagenesis techniques post-Direc- society can benefit from new science and technology. tive 2001/18 must be subject to EU GMO regulations, while thoseThis debate is now open. A European citizens\' initiative obtained by traditional mutagenesis techniques (used beforeGrow scientific progress launched by a group of European stu-2001) are exempted as previously but Member States are given lat- dents from Wageningen University called for a revision of the itude to submit these traditionally produced organisms as well.Directive 2001/18/EC and a change in existing legislation to This judgment was transposed into French law by the Council offocus on the crop rather than the technique. In this way safety is State on 7 February 2020 with a very restrictive interpretation.ensured while the valuable benefits of new techniques are not lost Consequently, the French Council of State calls for herbicide tol- to illogical regulatory hurdles. Political parties are also taking erant varieties, which originated from spontaneous mutagenesisover. Some members of the German Green Party published in in the field but were improved by mutagenesis directed in the lab- June 2020, a manifesto entitled: New times, new responses: reg-oratory, and already used in the field for several years, be removedulating the law of genetic engineering in a modern way. They from the Official Catalogue of French cultivated species andpoint out that applied genetic engineering in human health is varieties. However, the European Commission, supported by fiveuniversally accepted and that applications in agriculture can also Member States issued a detailed opinion on 22 September 2020be part of sustainability with appropriate supervision, saving challenging the conclusions of the French Council of State andtime to face the challenges of the future such as climate public asking it to review its decrees. It states that there is no needchange. In November 2020, the European Union of Agricultural to distinguish between in vitro and in vivo or spontaneousAcademies (UEAA) was concerned that 80% of patents filed mutagenesis, perfectly in line with the opinion of the Scientificon the applications of the CRISPR-Cas technique belong to Committee of the French High Council of Biotechnologies issuedAmerican or Chinese companies as opposed to less than 10% on 29 June 2020, and that the decisions of the French Council ofEuropean ones. It takes a stand to call for new regulations on State are, in this case, contrary to European regulations withinNBTs and GMOs adapted to modern breeding techniques. the framework of the Common Market. It is in this context that the European Commission is cur-The ECJ ruling was also commented on by the EU Grouprently developing a document planned to be released in early of Chief Scientific Advisors, members of the Scientific Advicespring 2021. Such a document is of critical importance to the Mechanism. In a statement entitled A Scientific Perspective onfuture of European agriculture and the agri-food independence the Regulatory Status of Products Derived from Gene Editing andof its Member States. the Implications for the GMO Directive, the Committee recom-mended revising the existing GMO Directive to reflect currentEditors Note: This is an abbreviated version of the full article, knowledge and scientific evidence, in particular on gene editingwhich you can find on our website www.european-seed.com Imagine how far you can get by incorporatingmodern technology into your research.Wherever you conduct your research and whatever your specific needs, Phenome will be at your side: Collaborating closely with you Adapting our flexible, user-friendly solutions to fit your mostcomplex operations Maximizing your research results Reaching your goalsWe would be happy to meet you online for a web demonstration.Book a demo nowOr send us an email:info@phenome-networks.comEUROPEAN-SEED.COMIEUROPEAN SEED I 33'