Euroseeds applauds the outcome of today’s Coreper meeting, a significant milestone for the future of plant breeding innovation in Europe.
The Council’s decision to begin trilogue negotiations with the EU Parliament and Commission on the New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) proposal sets the stage for further advancements in this legislative framework.
“Reaching a balanced Council position on NGTs is a significant step forward. It is now essential that the Co-legislators ensure a regulatory framework that is innovation friendly and workable for all companies in the seed and agri-food sector ,” said Garlich von Essen, Secretary General of Euroseeds. “ This means treating conventional -like NGT plants and products similar to conventional breeding without discriminatory labelling or traceability requirements.”
Euroseeds underscores the need for a regulatory framework that empowers plant breeders to drive innovation and support a more sustainable agriculture in Europe, according to a press release. Maintaining transparency on intellectual property rights remains a top priority for the sector, and we look forward to productive discussions to resolve any outstanding concerns.
“With the increasing number of third countries that facilitate the application of NGTs today, Europe urgently needs an enabling regulatory framework for plant breeding innovation to remain competitive,” added von Essen.
The release notes that Euroseeds remains dedicated to supporting a regulatory framework that empowers plant breeders to drive innovation, strengthening a more resilient, competitive, and sustainable food system.
Coreper stands for the ‘Committee of the Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States to the European Union’. Its role and different formations is explained in article 240(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.
About Coreper
Each EU Member State is represented in Coreper by a Permanent Representative (Coreper II) and a Deputy Permanent Representative (Coreper I) with the status of ambassador to the European Union.
Coreper occupies a pivotal position in the EU’s decision-making system. It coordinates and prepares the work of all meetings of the Council and attempts to find, at its level, an agreement which will be subsequently submitted for adoption by the Council. It also ensures consistency of the EU’s policies and actions and sees to it that the following principles and rules are observed:
- the principles of legality, subsidiarity, proportionality and providing reasons for acts;
- rules setting out the powers of EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies;
- budgetary provisions;
- rules on procedure, transparency and the quality of drafting.
Click here for more information about the meeting.
