Trade and manufacturers demand clear regulation of new genetic engineering by the EU

12.7.2018
Open letter to the European Commission: GMO-free production and organic production must be protected; Labeling and regulation required for new genetic technology

Vienna – The Austrian and German food trade and major manufacturers urge the European Commission to clbadify new genetic engineering techniques and related products according to European genetic engineering legislation as genetically engineered organisms This is essential to avoid endangering food and feed production without genetic engineering, which has become an important quality standard in both countries and is guaranteed with high logistical and financial costs. Organic production must be protected. Leading food retailers such as EDEKA, Lidl, REWE and SPAR as well as manufacturers such as NÖM, Berglandmilch, SalzburgMilch, Kärntnermilch, Wech and Titz request this in an open letter (Link: https: //bit.ly/2uhb3Kl).

Companies justify their claim by the precautionary principle. In order to protect consumers and the environment, the procedures of new genetic engineering – badogous to existing genetic engineering – should be subject to a solid risk badessment prior to their approval for cultivation or use. Full traceability and labeling must also be guaranteed to ensure freedom of choice for consumers and manufacturers.

GMO free: important quality standard on the European market

In recent years, GMO-free feed and food has emerged as an important quality standard in the European market, the undersigned companies claim. Ensuring this standard represents a significant logistical and financial burden for everyone involved in the value chain. But he has been able to respond to the demand very clearly expressed by consumers for foods produced without genetic engineering.

Organic production and GMO-free production threatened

This construction work puts companies at risk if new genetic engineering techniques and their products are unregulated and imperceptible to manufacturers, retailers and consumers. The Commission should also "work towards a clear and unambiguous legal regulation of new genetic engineering procedures, which makes products traceable and recognizable," says the open letter.

Genetic editing methods such as CRISPR / Cas, zinc finger nucleases, or oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis can be used to modify the genetic composition of plants and animals in a targeted manner. unprecedented. Until now, it has not been decided how these procedures are regulated within the EU. For July 25, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) announced a decision on this issue. Thus, the EU is facing an intense debate on the legal regulation of new genetic engineering.

Without clear regulation and labeling, genetically engineered products may go unnoticed in foods, even organic foods. Consumers no longer have any guarantee that their food does not contain genetic engineering. It would be essential labels of Austrian food – production without genetic engineering or organic production – in danger.

"Without genetic engineering" as an important factor in the market

Food without genetic engineering has become an important market factor in Austria and Germany: in Germany, annual sales of about 8 billion euros are expected by 2018; In Austria, milk, eggs and poultry meat have been fully certified free of GMOs for many years.

The undersigned companies of the open letter Österreichalleine achieve a combined annual turnover of more than 24.7 billion euros and employ more than 173,000 people. Together, the signatories of Austria and Germany achieve 106 billion euros a year; with a total of 966,000 employees.

"Austrian consumers do not want genetic engineering – either in its current form or in a new form," says Dr. Gerhard Drexel, CEO of SPAR: "New breeding techniques are changing the genotype of plants. rejecting these methods in the interest of food safety policy must put an end to the protection of high Austrian food standards. "

"Sustainable long-term food production requires a transparent statement – our customers want and need to know what they buy and eat – it is important for us that this continues in the future , especially with regard to genetically modified foods, "says Christian Schug, CEO of Lidl Austria.

Manufacturers also highlight the high priority of GMO-free production: "We have pioneered GM-free production, and since 2009 we have moved the full range of products to GMO-free production. With this step, we have made a significant contribution to the quality of food; this quality criterion must be preserved ", explains Alfred Berger, member of NÖM's board of directors.
"Honest, non-GMO food meets the expectations of our consumers and we do not want to disappoint them," says Berglandmilch CEO Josef Braunshofer. "The EU must strive to preserve the natural biodiversity that has evolved over the centuries," adds Kärntnermilch. Helmut Pechar.

"Product without genetic engineering" – registered trademark for Austrian quality products

The GMO-free ARGE labeling system, Europe's first and best performing non-GMO food, is established as an important quality institution in the domestic market. GMO-free production has become a special quality feature of Austrian products: more than 3,500 Austrian foods have received the ecological control symbol "Made without genetic engineering". at

Dairy products (since June 2010), fresh eggs (since October 2010) and poultry meat (since March 2012), OGM-freedom standard in Austria Products bearing the "GMO-free" green control mark Specifications of Austrian Food Codex or Organic Law of the EU; Compliance is regularly verified by independent inspection bodies at all stages of production.

Link to the open letter