AMIGA project results presented at the 2nd Stakeholders Consultation Platform Meeting

AMIGA project coordinator Dr Salvatore Arpaia, from ENEA (Italy), gathered stakeholders on the 25th of June by the ENEA premises in Brussels to present the results achieved after more than one year of activities within the EU funded project AMIGA. Together with the deputy project coordinator, Dr Antoine Messean from INRA (France), information about the second of the three field seasons foreseen and developments in the research activities were disclosed to the participants.

After the welcome message by Dr Arpaia who opened the meeting, the AMIGA Project Officer at the European Commission expressed his satisfaction for the developments and the achievements so far.

Most relevant project developments included a first report analysing the economics surrounding the growth and sale of GM crops in the EU, and activities related to field studies, which have been designed and carried out in the first phase of the project. The partners started the field experiments last year in which they have been studying possible assessment endpoints for Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA). The second field season started last February and the partners are now collecting and analysing the first data on pollinators and other highly relevant Non-Target Organisms (NTOs) and biological component of soil in different bio-geographical regions.

The second Stakeholders Consultation Platform gathered representatives from EFSA, European institutions, farmers associations, NGOs and national competent authorities. The meeting aimed to involve all the main actors in the field of biosafety of GM plants to interact and discuss about the possible environmental and economic impacts of the cultivation of GM plants that are relevant to European cultivation.

Positive feedback was received by the attendees, who had also the opportunity to ask questions and get details, especially about the field trials set up in 2013. New ideas and chances of further collaboration within the Platform were also explored and the next meeting with the stakeholders was fixed for 2014.