Cabinet: cisgenesis is safe

The Dutch government does not think cisgenesis should be subject to the EU legislation for genetically modified crops. The new breeding technique is just as safe as classic plant breeding. Joop Atsma, state secretary for the environment, supports a Parliamentary motion to make the assessment for cisgenesis (plant breeding with same-species genes) less stringent than that for transgenesis (the introduction of genes from other species). This relaxation of the rules may mean an end to the mandatory risk assessment for cisgenesis crops such as the potato Wageningen UR is developing.