Berlin split on gene editing ahead of Commission proposal

One month before the European Commission is expected to propose the deregulation of certain gene editing techniques, the German governing coalition remains unable to find common ground and might be forced to abstain.

The EU executive is set to table a proposal for updated rules on plants produced by new genomic techniques on 7 June.

The proposal is expected to endorse the deregulation of new genomic techniques, that is, scientific methods used to alter genomes with the aim of genetically modifying certain traits of a plant, such as its drought tolerance.

Whether to loosen gene editing rules is highly contentious, and the Commission’s proposal must pass through the European Parliament and EU agriculture ministers.

While many national ministers have signalled support for the Commission’s liberalisation push, some criticism comes from Germany, the bloc’s most populous country, which is pushing back. This is because the Greens, traditionally staunch gene editing opponents, hold the Agriculture and the Environment Ministry.

But the liberal FDP, one of the other coalition parties, has clarified that it will not stand for Germany opposing a deregulation.

Speaking during a press briefing in Brussels at the end of last week, the head of the FDP’s national parliamentary group, Johannes Vogel, stressed the party would firmly stick with its stance that the EU’s gene editing rules should be relaxed.

“We wanted to share with you that we, as Free Democrats want to strongly support the European Commission in creating as much openness as possible here,” Vogel stressed.

He added this was especially true for new genomic techniques, which he said: “only reflect what already happens anyway in the context of natural selection or classic breeding techniques.”

“Regulating this strictly, as we currently do in Europe, is the completely wrong approach in our view,” he stressed.

German agri ministry opposes gene editing deregulation

Germany’s agriculture ministry has come out against deregulating new genomic techniques and could tip the scale on the matter within the Berlin government, in a departure from its previous non-committal stance.

Vogel also added that, for the German liberals, deregulation is also a question of openness to technology – a concept the party had already cited as the reasoning behind its infamous last-minute opposition to the EU’s combustion engine ban.

The FDP’s push comes even though the Green-led environment ministry is staunchly against any liberalisation of genomic techniques, citing a high risk of their application and potential adverse effects on food production.

“I find the current regulation to be exactly right,” environment minister Steffi Lemke said in January, adding there is “no need for a new revision.”

Green agriculture minister Cem Özdemir has so far remained non-committal on the issue, but high-level ministry officials have voiced opposition against liberalisation.

Should the coalition parties remain split until the Commission’s proposal is put to vote in the Council of national ministers, Berlin would practice the so-called German vote: This rule of procedure between German coalition partners states that whenever governing parties are split on an EU issue, the country will abstain from any Council votes.

While it is traditionally quite rare that German coalition governments do not hammer out a compromise internally ahead of time, public displays of discord, including on EU files, have become increasingly common since the current three-way ‘traffic light’ coalition came into office.

[Edited by Gerardo Fortuna/Alice Taylor]

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