The initiative was led by Aegilops, the Geotechnical Chamber of Greece (GEOTEE), the SITÓ network and Greenpeace Greece, and was co-signed by 34 additional organisations. The letter was sent ahead of a vote scheduled for 28 January in the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, which is examining proposed EU rules for “new purposefully mutated plants” derived from new genetic techniques.

According to Greenpeace, the signatories call on Greece’s political representatives to vote in favour of consumers, farmers and the environment and against what they describe as new forms of genetically modified organisms. They also recall that Greece previously played a leading role in securing a five-year EU moratorium on GM crops, before the current EU framework for risk assessment, labelling and traceability was established.

The organisations specifically oppose plans to exempt a category of these products, referred to as NGT1, from existing GMO rules. They argue that such an exemption would dismantle key safety and transparency barriers, including:

  • mandatory publication of detection methods and DNA sequencing information for NGT plants

  • risk assessment and obligatory post-release monitoring for potential health and environmental impacts

  • full traceability and labelling of NGT products all the way to the final consumer

  • the right of member states to prohibit cultivation of NGT plants on their national territory

Without these requirements, the letter argues, farmers who want to avoid NGT seeds, including organic and conventional producers, would be left without effective protection, and consumers would lose meaningful choice. The signatories also warn that the patented nature of these products could create legal and economic risks for farmers and for the food processing industry.

The letter concludes that technological progress must remain compatible with transparency, safety and democratic freedom of choice, and that safety rules should not be dismantled before the new techniques have been properly tested.

A full list of the signatory organisations is included in the original letter circulated by the organisers.

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