site.btaRally-Protest against New Genomic Techniques in Agriculture to Take Place Monday in Sofia

A rally-protest against the new genomic techniques in agriculture will be held on Monday in Sofia. The protest is scheduled for 6:00 pm in front of the European Commission building, the Agrolink association said.

The organization points out that on March 14, 2025, the Council of the European Union was able to gather a quorum to allow discussions to proceed on a draft regulation on new genomic techniques in agriculture between the European Commission, the European Parliament and EU agriculture ministers.

According to organizations and analysts, these texts relax regulations on gene-edited crops and provide for the patenting of seeds produced by the new genomic techniques.

"EU countries are one step away from selling out the agri-food system to a handful of corporations that are at the same time the biggest pesticide producers. Once again, the bill will be paid by the people: environmental and health risks will no longer be taken into account. And this is while corporations are allowed to increase their profits thanks to patents, without scientific proof of safety and without labelling of genetically modified crops - from seeds to food in the store," the association said in its announcement.

Agrolink added that 90 percent of Bulgarians do not want old and new GMOs, Europeans want the right to choose in food and seeds, and without rules for labelling and traceability this is tantamount to deregulation of new GMOs, which means that producers and consumers will not have the right to choose.

“Life/Seeds cannot be patented and be someone's private property,” the organisation said.

The European Parliament will vote again on April 8. Bulgarian MEPs in the previous Parliament did not support the draft of the new regulation, and hopefully the current ones will listen to the voice of the people, the press release noted.

On April 7, protests will also be held in Brussels and other European cities, the organization added.