b'POLICY DEVELOPMENTS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD (09/2019)Canada: Product basedRussia: decree for R&D program approach; ongoingEurope: ECJ decision callsclarifying that conventional-like discussions to improveall mutagenesis GMOgenome editing products are not system and subject to EU GMOregulated as GMOregulationUS: Proposed new USDA policy excludes certain techniques; ExecutiveChina: China unofficial GMO-lite Order on ModernizingproposalRegulatory Framework for BiotechnologyJapan: excluding certain edited Israel: Guidance that specificproducts (Korea likely to follow)techniques are outside GMO Argentina, Chile, Brazil,scopeParaguay Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala: Case-by-caseAustralia: Revised gene tech approach, excluding certainregulation exclude some geneNZ: High Court decision that edited products (El Salvadorediting applications a few specific techniques likely to follow) are GMOPOSITIVE DECISIONNO FORMAL DECISIONRESTRICTIVE DECISIONGlobal overview on regulatory approaches implemented or discussed in different countries (Status September 2019). In green: countries that exempt certain plants resulting from targeted mutagenesis breeding from their biotech regulations; in yellow: countries that started discussions, but did not take decisions yet on their policy approaches for plants resulting from new breeding methods; red: countries in which court rulings interpreted established GMO regulations in way that these also apply to all plants resulting from targeted mutagenesis breeding methods, even if these plants are indistinguishable from conventionally bred plants.tions in May 2019 and the end of the term of the current EUniques & was asking national capitals for certain data to help Commission in late 2019, it was clear that no legislative initia- the Commission to come up with a robust response. tive will be taken until the new Commission is established. This has also been stated repeatedly by the responsible EUCan Europe Afford to be Left Behind?Commissioner Andriukaitis and his staff on several occasions. Currently, there is a trend towards a global harmonization of The new Commission President Ursula von der Leyenregulatory oversight when it comes to the products of new included in her strategy for Europe to strive for more by beingbreeding methods including genome editing. Most countries the first climate-neutral continent. In this context she wants towhich already implemented or discussed new or updated poli-implement a Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, a Farm to Forkcies follow the principle approach that products including a Strategy on sustainable food as well as a new Circular Economynovel combination of genetic material as laid out in the LMO-Action Plan. Plant breeding innovation can contribute to alldefinition of the Cartagena Protocol. these goals and Euroseeds will definitely address the topic in thisDiffering regulatory requirements will limit the capacity of the context in view of our communication activities as well as ourindustry to innovate. It will also reduce the availability of genetic advocacy efforts. resources for breeding and have a negative effect on research Finland is, as current Council Presidency, following up oncollaborations as well as hinder the movement of seed globally. the Dutch proposal that was presented in the AgriFish CouncilEnforcement issues, like the ones mentioned above are likely to in May 2019 to call upon the incoming new Commission toincrease because seeds and commodities developed with the aid include addressing the adequacy of the European legislativeof some of the latest plant breeding methods may be indistin-framework for GMOs in its program of work. One major driverguishable from those derived from traditional plant breeding for this proposal was the above mentioned JRC/ENGL reportmethods or naturally occurring genetic variation. questioning the ability of member states to enforce the cur- A harmonized scope of regulatory oversight would accom-rent regulation with regard to products that cannot be distin- modate current scientific progress and help addressing signifi-guished as described above. After the Council meeting EU Farmcant global challenges like climate change and food security in a Commissioner Phil Hogan said his colleague Vytenis Andriukaitistimely manner.SWcontinues to get advice on the legal advice on mutagenesis tech-74/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2020'