Not with us! In the case of "new GMOs", 340 social organizations compose to Timmermans

instytutsprawobywatelskich.pl 2 years ago

On 16 May 2023, 340 NGOs from around the planet sent a letter to the president of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, on the possible widespread usage of alleged fresh GMOs in Europe. Among them are besides organizations from Poland. This is another appeal from social organisations to European decision-makers before the planned deregulation of fresh GMOs in the European Union this year.

It all points to the fact that we will be acquainted with the European Commission's proposal to usage fresh GMOs in Europe this summer. Regardless of the final decision, whether or not to make GMOs in Europe, this situation will surely make considerable confusion in global policy. This is not only about continuing or moving distant from the EU's approach to date, but besides about a decision that can change the destiny of all mankind.

There is no uncertainty that the direction that Europe will take will set any standards on this subject. Although the final decision on this issue is about to be taken, according to many social organisations, both scientists, decision-makers and citizens do not have adequate cognition of this inactive not full studied technology.

Opposition by citizens and activists

In February of this year, European NGOs gave both European decision-makers and national petitions on maintaining strict regulation and labelling of fresh GMOs. A collection of signatures under the European initiative lasted from April to November 2022 and collected

more than 420,000 signatures of European Union citizens afraid about the possible deregulation of fresh GMOs. The petition was supported by more than 50 organisations from 17 different countries across the EU (including the Institute of civilian Affairs) and called on European decision-makers to keep the current legal framework for all GMOs, including those acquired with fresh methods.

Almost half a million signatures collected in a fewer months, only with tiny means, did not impress politicians and officials who decided to proceed their work on deregulation of fresh GMOs in the Union. And what is worth noting is the work on specified a serious aspect, which at the same time does not appear almost at all in the public debate. And that's a key charge in this case.

In the opinion of social organisations, deciding on specified extremist changes in the law on GMOs will, among another things, mean that Europeans, including farmers, producers, store owners, whether average consumers will be deprived of the basic right to information, which is to say they will no longer know what goes to their farm, to the factory, to the store shelves or yet to the plates. And of course, this is just 1 of the problems (beyond environmental or safety issues) that play a key function in this issue.

Hundreds of NGOs talk with 1 voice

Seeing the European Commission's indifference to the voice of afraid citizens, 340 civil, environmental, environmental and agricultural organisations issued a letter to the president of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, stressing one more time the unity of civilian society on this crucial topic.

In the letter, social organisations exposure the argument about the possible usage of fresh GMOs to combat climate warming. The organisations besides stress that the false intentions of the supporters of genetic modification can in fact distance us not only from climate objectives, but besides from the “From Field to Table” strategy promoted in the European Union for respective years, which is to cure European agriculture and give opportunities to tiny farmers.

Since the European Commission boasts broad support from environmental organisations, which are expected to see a real chance of utilizing fresh GMOs to combat climate warming, and the letter against specified a communicative signs more than 300 most likely the most crucial organisations in the world... who is the European Commission sitting at the table, then?

Polish voice on fresh GMOs

Although this highly hard and method subject, which undoubtedly is the fresh GMO, has entered public discussion in Poland with problems, advancement has surely been made. And what we would like to emphasise is that we owe this mostly to the consistent work of the civilian Affairs Institute, but it would not have been possible without your support.

Since 2020, the Institute of civilian Affairs, which has been addressing the issue of GMOs for civilian and consumer rights, has besides joined educational activities to make a public debate in Poland on fresh GMOs. And the subject is highly crucial because, as we have mentioned, for the first time in over 20 years there has been a hazard of diametric changes in European Union law on genetic modifications, and society has not been decently prepared to take specified a far-reaching decision.

Therefore, for respective years we have been asking the Polish government what position our ruling government has on GMOs. Is Poland inactive and will be a "GMO-free country" supporting native and conventional agriculture? And the question does not seem meaningless, especially given the fresh decisions and statements of Polish decision-makers.

Let us remind that inactive in May 2021, the Polish typical at the gathering of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council stated that Poland saw large possible in utilizing fresh genetic modification techniques. And let us make it clear here, in this case, that they could be utilized in agriculture and the environment, not just in medicine, to make more effective treatments.

It was surely a amazing speech, which seems not to be in line with the Polish government's current position on GMOs and the protection of Polish conventional agriculture. It is worth noting that inactive in 2019 we celebrated in Poland the introduction of authoritative marking "free from GMOs", and the request to fight genetic modifications appeared for many years on the banners of the ruling party. Is anything different then?

For the first time, we decided to check this out during the parliamentary squad gathering in November 2022, where we invited the Ministry of Agriculture and agrarian Development, as well as specialists in the fields of environment, agriculture and genetics to discuss the future of GMOs in Poland. Unfortunately, despite our interest in gathering in the Polish parliament from the Ministry's parties, no of them honored us with their presence, nor did they send us any position of the Polish government on this matter. erstwhile again, what is characteristic of Polish politics, we were forced to discuss without the participation of decision-makers.

Another chance to learn the Polish position on a possible proposal to deregulation fresh GMOs came in April this year, during a debate organised by Euractiv.pl. At that time, according to the preliminary findings, 1 of the participants of the discussion on genetically modified organisms was to be a typical of the Ministry of Environment – in practice due to the competence of the most curious person. Unfortunately, besides this time the Polish decision-makers failed to get answers about the point of view of the Polish government.

The Institute of civilian Affairs so made a polite request to the president Permanent Subcommittee on Bioeconomy and Innovation in Agriculture (which is besides liable for GMO) to convene a gathering on the position of the Polish Government on the forthcoming proposal of the European Commission to deregulation GMOs.

This proposal, due to the large achievements of the Institute on issues related to GMOs, met with approval and on 27 April 2023 we yet had an chance to learn the answers of Polish ministries on the alleged fresh GMOs.

Polish Government on GMOs

Before the subcommittee gathering on the regulation of crops grown utilizing gene editing technology, we prepared any questions for the ministries, which we believe are crucial in the discussion of possible deregulation of GMOs in Europe:

Is the Polish Government in favour of the full application of the judgement of the European Court of Justice of 25 July 2018 on the qualification of fresh genomic techniques in the scope of the EU GMO Directive and subject to the obligations laid down in that Directive?
Is Poland in favour of marking products produced under alleged fresh genomic techniques, where specified products would be authorised in the future? Is the ministry in favour of maintaining the work to description GMOs for all products of "new genomic techniques"? Will consumers inactive be able to choose food free from GMOs?
How do Polish decision-makers intend to reduce the hazard of socio-economic harm caused by contamination of organic and conventional products called fresh GMOs? Does the Ministry see the hazard that the exclusion of certain GMOs from EU GMO government may undermine the EU's nonsubjective of expanding the share of organic farming?
Does the Polish government support the request that plant patents from breeding be included in alleged fresh genomic techniques? Will the Plant Variety Act of 23 June 2003 apply in specified cases? erstwhile deciding to exclude fresh genomic techniques from the EU directive, how will the Polish government regulate fresh genomic techniques and guarantee the protection of conventional Polish agriculture and the interests of Polish farmers?
Does Poland have adequate cognition and appropriate technologies to be able to detect these genetic modifications that will be carried out under alleged fresh genomic techniques? Have we started any investigation into strategies and methods for detecting these products?
How does the government plan to support green and conventional farmers who want to proceed to produce food free from GMOs? In the case of the EC decision to exclude fresh genomic techniques from the EU GMO Directive, will the Polish government guarantee the protection of these producers and farmers? If so, how?
Do Polish decision-makers believe that the biotechnology manufacture and GMOs manufacturers will propose something that will make our food strategy more sustainable and little dependent on pesticides? On what grounds does the government base its assurance in fresh genomic techniques?

These are mainly questions that we have addressed to Polish ministries liable for GMO in our country. Due to the binding nature of the subcommittee meetings, this time the Polish government was forced to give us an answer. Unfortunately, the answers were evasive.

According to the Polish government, in Poland the position on GMOs was expressed in 2008. On the basis of this, the government is guided by the premise that GMOs will not be utilized in both agriculture and the environment. As besides stressed by the Polish government, Poland is inactive a country "free from GMOs". And here "still" is highly important. As the ministries have besides pointed out, in the course of the improvement of fresh genetic modification techniques, there has been a discussion in Europe on the exclusion of fresh modification techniques from the EU GMO Directive. The proposal for deregulation was the consequence of the 2018 judgement of the European Court of Justice of the European Union which ordered fresh genomic techniques to be classified as GMOs.

Although the current position of the Polish government on GMOs remains unchanged, as stressed by the representatives of the ministries present at the April subcommittee meeting, Poland's position may change after publication of an authoritative proposal for amendments to European Union law. And all the signs on Earth say it's gonna happen soon.

Although the first date for the proposal to exclude fresh GMOs from the EU Directive was to be 7 June 2023, current media leaks indicate the first half of July this year. Regardless, we undoubtedly have years of discussion ahead of us on a substance that can change Poland, Europe and the planet forever. We, citizens, look at our ruling hands.

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