EU Parliament votes for new transparency regulation

The EU's new Transparency Regulation promotes openness in approval procedures and requires greater food safety. It reforms approval procedures and is therefore also of great importance in the field of genetic engineering. It was passed as a compromise in the EU Parliament with a majority and now only requires a vote in the Council. It focuses on the risk assessment of pesticides. Among other things, the regulation aims to increase member states' involvement in the EFSA and its scientific bodies. It also aims to conduct consultations with stakeholders and the public and improve risk communication. Specifically, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) must in future publish all studies that serve as the basis for active ingredients in plant protection products, feed additives, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). EFSA will be required to record and publish all studies underlying an application in a database. An exception can be made in cases where serious business interests of the companies concerned are violated. In addition, studies to be conducted for an approval procedure must be registered with EFSA. For small and medium-sized enterprises, additional consultation with the European regulatory authority is required prior to the application. The regulation contains specific guidelines on how citizens can more easily access the information submitted to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for approval purposes within the food chain. Increased transparency is intended to bring risk assessments for controversial technologies—such as the use of genetic engineering in the production of food and feed—closer to citizens, improving public understanding of the use of such technologies.