The European Commission wants temporary restrictions on genetic engineering to be set aside. In this way, the committee hopes that a vaccine against corona can be developed more quickly. There are big supporters in the European Parliament, but also fierce opponents.
It concerns the term GMO (genetically modified organisms). Tinkering with the DNA of plants and animals is subject to strict rules. Just like in agriculture, in the pharmaceutical industry small adjustments are sometimes made in the DNA of plants, for example.
Now that a corona vaccine is needed as soon as possible, the strict rules stand in the way, according to the European Commission. Mainly because the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, with which the Netherlands, Germany, France and Italy have concluded an agreement, also uses these kinds of techniques in the development of the vaccine.
Time is running out
According to European Commissioner Kyriakides, there is no time to waste. “As long as there is no vaccine, no one is safe.” It calls on the European Parliament and the European Council to rapidly adopt the proposal for the relaxation. MEPs must vote within a few weeks so that the easing will take effect this summer.
However, not everyone is eager to vote in favor. To resolve the concerns, the Committee only wants to temporarily relax the rules for the corona vaccine and for medicines against Covid-19.
How temporary is temporary?
“I have been walking around here for a long time. If the word is used temporarily, I am afraid that it rather means permanent,” says MEP Peter van Dalen (CU). “In addition, I am basically reluctant about this, because this is about tinkering with the smallest building blocks of life.”
“In Europe we are much too afraid of new developments in biotechnology,” says Jan Huitema, who is a member of the European Parliament for the VVD. “These kinds of techniques can also help people, animals and the environment. The rules about these adaptation techniques have not changed in the last twenty years, it is high time for that.”
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