A number of EU agricultural ministers, led by the Netherlands, are seeking to exclude gene editing and new plant breeding techniques from EU GMO legislation and to review the legislation.

If gene editing was excluded, this would mean that the genetic resistance of cereals to diseases such as septoria and ramularia in light of losing the key active chlorothalonil, could be improved.

It could also help to accelerate the breeding of drought-resistant varieties and improve yields of crops. Last year, the European Court of Justice ruled that new breeding techniques had to fall under GMO legislation. It is up to the Commission to decide whether or not to table a proposal on the issue.