Attending an Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels on Monday, Bulgarian Agriculture and Food Minister Nikolay Vatev said that the application of scientific achievements, such as new genomic techniques, should not lead to a compromise with high safety standards for human and animal health and environmental impact. Vatev was speaking during a debate on a proposal for a regulation on plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques and their food and feed products, the Agriculture and Food Ministry reported.
"For us, it is important that the proposal for a regulation offer lasting solutions," Vatev said. The discussions should continue on the co-existence of products of new genomic techniques and of conventional and biological agriculture as well as on biodiversity preservation. Equal access to the gene pool is needed for selection activity and non-allowance of patent limitations, he argued.
On the sidelines of the Council, Vatev met with Dutch Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Piet Adema. The Bulgarian Agriculture Minister noted that new solutions should be sought in light of climate change and the transition to sustainable production. He also noted the long-standing good cooperation and friendly ties between the Netherlands' Wageningen University and Bulgaria's Agricultural Academy.
The two ministers discussed the imports of Ukrainian agricultural produce in the EU. Vatev presented the situation with Ukrainian imports in Bulgaria, noting the importance of competition happening in equal conditions.
/RY/
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