BioThai is urging the government to exercise caution on any decision regarding gene-editing crops following the European Parliament decision last week to give them the green light, which also came with strict regulations.
The European Parliament on Feb 7 decided to relax controls on what are also known as new genomic techniques (NGTs) after a 307-to-263 vote in favour of the change. However, the decision was not simply a green light for gene editing as it came with certain caveats, according to BioThai.
The conditions specify that only plants that are identified as NGT1 will be exempt from the requirements of the GMO legislation; all other NGT plants (NGT2) will have to comply to the strict orders.
All NGT crop products must be clearly labelled and follow traceability requirements to ensure that if problems arise, the licence can be revoked and compensation sought. Gene-editing crops are also prohibited from being used in organic farming and banned from patenting.
Despite these conditions, organisations like the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and France's food safety agency expressed concerns the scientific basis for relaxing regulations on NGT1 crops was insufficient.
In their response to the decision, they emphasised the importance of maintaining control over all gene-edited crops, which must conform to the guidelines of the GMO.
BioThai emphasised the need for care and thorough study before making decisions about gene editing and GMOs.