Following Brexit: The Future of Crop Protection and GMOs in the EU

The headlines and commentaries can be a little scary:

  • “Brexit Could Trigger the Breakup of the United Kingdom”
  • “More Countries to Leave”
  • “Markets Fall, Europe Worries, Who will Lead UK?”

The long-term implications of the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU will have to wait. The short-term effects are already sending reverberations through stock markets around the world. There is talk by some right-wing groups in France and the Netherlands about their own referendums to leave the block of countries formed after World War II.

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What’s also unclear is what impact the decision will have on crop protection and ag technology. AgriBusiness Global reached out to the European Crop Protection Association, which represents the crop protection industry in Europe, and EuropBio, which promotes an innovative and dynamic environment for the biotech industry in Europe, to get their thoughts on Brexit.

From the European Crop Protection Association:

  • We are hugely disappointed, but not altogether surprised, that the UK has decided to leave the EU;
  • Glyphosate is an example from our sector that epitomizes how dysfunctional the EU system can be.  A system where a few  Member States, driven by politics rather than science, are allowed to potentially prevent the authorization of a substance that allows the production of a plentiful, safe, sustainable and affordable supply of food for the European population, while allowing farmers to stay competitive and make positive contributions to the environment such as practicing no-till;
  • The UK could be consistently relied upon to champion the causes of innovation in agriculture, a science based approach to decision making, and better and smarter regulation within the EU. Their voice will be missed, but we hope future relations with the EU will ensure that this dialogue on innovation and science continues and improves;
  • We hope that the institutions will take time to reflect on the reasons that one of the largest and most influential Member States would choose to leave, and how it can address some of the issues raised during the debate such as the real concern about the unnecessary red tape and burden that Brussels places on businesses.

From EuropaBio:

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While respecting the decision of British voters, EuropaBio and its members are deeply concerned with the result of the UK referendum to leave the European Union. As witnessed since this result became clear, we are entering a period of uncertainty and unpredictability for the EU economic and political system that may have effects both on the biotech industry in Europe, and on the broader European business community.

The biotechnology industry is a highly innovative, resilient and increasingly global community, geared towards responding to our major societal challenges. EuropaBio and the UK’s BioIndustry Association (the UK national member association) will work together to make specific expertise available to EU and UK policymakers and key stakeholders in the coming weeks and months. The priority for our industry is that once the decision to leave the EU is confirmed, the negotiation period is completed with a focused eye on limiting detrimental effects on the competitiveness and regulatory ecosystem of the biotech industry and of innovation on both sides of the Channel.

As a European industry association, EuropaBio is also concerned about any knock-on effect on the focus on European competitiveness and on the unity of the European Union as a whole. In the context of calls for similar referendums and upcoming national elections in a number of European Member States, we would like to reiterate the positive value of European unity in terms of economy, political stability, competitiveness and integration. It is fundamental that European and national policymakers continue to focus on supporting and enhancing Europe’s growth, generating jobs and creating a positive climate for investment, research and development in which Europe’s leading industries, including the biotech industry, can continue to operate successfully.

From EuropaBio — the impact on GMOs:

  • The UK has consistently supported science-based decision making and as such as consistently voted in favor of GMOs positively assessed by EFSA for import into the EU. (See here for voting behavior of other Member States).
  • EuropaBio does not foresee a major impact of a decision of the UK to leave the EU on GMO imports into the EU, nor on (the minimal) GMO cultivation in the EU in the foreseeable future.
  • More farmers are now planting GMOs globally than all EU farmers put together. on a surface that is larger than the EU’s entire arable land. In the EU, there is currently only one GMO approved for cultivation and there are a number of non-science-based national bans on the cultivation of that one crop. EU cultivation of GMO crops currently corresponds to the surface of a large city.

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