GMO stands for genetically modified organisms. They are organisms whose genetic material has been artificially modified in order to give it a new property. For example, this could be to make it easier for a plant to resist a disease, insects or drought, or to increase crop productivity.

The EU's GMO legislation stems from 1990 when the first two directives concerning GMOs came into force. Both original directives have since been updated, but the definition of a GMO has remained unchanged. This is causing problems for new techniques developed since then. New plant genetic modification techniques, referred to as 'gene editing' or 'genome editing', have evolved rapidly in recent years, allowing much faster and more precise results than conventional plant-breeding techniques. They are seen as a promising, innovative field for the agri-food industry, offering great technical potential.There is, however, considerable debate as to how these new techniques should be regulated, and whether some or all of them should fall within the scope of EU legislation on genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

See more on this topic by visiting our <a href="https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/genetically-modified-organism-8th-parliamentary-term_6504_pk">package</a> for the 8th parliamentary term.

Genetically modified organism

In March 2015, the co-legislators adopted new EU rules allowing Member States to prohibit or restrict the cultivation of crops containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on their territory, even if they are allowed at EU level.

Under the old rules (Directive 2001/18/EC), Member States could provisionally ban or restrict the use of a GMO on their territory only if they had new evidence that the organism concerned constituted a risk to human health or the environment, or in the case of an emergency.

Genetically modified organism - 8th parliamentary term

Green meeting about patenting food and GMOs

Hiltrud BREYER, Paul LANNOYE, Friedrich Wilhelm GRAEFE ZU BARINGDORF, Frank SCHWALBA HOTH, Juan Maria BANDRES MOLET, Brigitte ERNST de la GRAETE

Greens-EFA debate on GMOs

NOICHL, Maria (S&D,DE), Maria HEUBUCH (Greens/EFA, DE), STAES, Bart (Greens/EFA,BE), Birgit WINKEL

STAES, Bart (Greens/EFA,BE), Birgit WINKEL, Andreas HEISSENBERGER

Maria HEUBUCH (Greens/EFA, DE), STAES, Bart (Greens/EFA,BE)

Pierre JONCKHEER, Caroline LUCAS, Claude TURMES, Gerard ONESTA, Jan DHAENE, Marie Anne ISLER BEGUIN, Jill EVANS, Daniel COHN BENDIT, Alima BOUMEDIENE-THIERY, Nelly MAES, Paul LANNOYE, Didier ROD, Helene FLAUTRE, Nuala AHERN, Hiltrud BREYER, Alexander de R

Greens - EFA Meps with a banner that reads ' Give your people a choice, Mr Bush. Label GM food ! '

Meeting of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI)&nbsp;in the EP in Brussels. Vote on the possibility for the Member States to restrict or prohibit the use of genetically modified food and feed on their territory. Vote, results and statement by Albert DESS (EPP,DE) , Rapporteur

The possibility for the Member States to restrict or prohibit the use of genetically modified food and feed on their territory: extracts from the vote and statement by Albert DESS (EPP,DE) , Rapporteur at the AGRI Committee

Vote during the plenary session of January in Strasbourg on the possibility for the Member States to restrict or prohibit the cultivation of GMOs. Opening of the votes and announcement of the results by Mairead MCGUINESS (EPP, IE), Vice-President of the EP.

Possibility for the Member States to restrict or prohibit the cultivation of GMOs: extracts from the vote on the report by Frédérique RIES (ALDE,BE)

This stockshot illustrates fields of Genetically Modified Corn, a factory producing animal food with GM corn flour and a farmer feeding his animals with that, inHuesca,Spain. This shooting took place in July 2013.

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