Use GMOs to find a COVID-19 vaccine

A temporary exception to the rules for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) could speed up clinical trials of potential COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. "Ideology must not stop the fight against the Coronavirus. We want this exception for GMOs", said the EPP Group's Peter Liese MEP and Jessica Polfjärd MEP today.

The EPP Group will vote in favour of a temporary change of EU rules to allow for vaccines that include GMOs.

"Biotechnology is a huge opportunity to develop a vaccine very fast and what is also important, on a large scale. We need to be ready to vaccinate hundreds of millions of people in the European Union and also in countries that are much more hit by the crisis like the Western Balkans or Africa", said Liese, who is the EPP Group’s Spokesman for Health.

"There is no doubt that we must do this in a responsible way. The change of rules must apply only to medical product-related trials and be limited in time. But if we do it properly, we do not only significantly improve our chances of finding a vaccine, but we speed up the administrative procedures to approve it", said Polfjärd, who is responsible for the law change for the EPP Group.

Under the current EU rules, companies conducting clinical trials also have to respect, on top of the pharmaceutical law, the EU rules on GMOs. The European Parliament will vote on the law change today in the afternoon.