In December 2010 the Committee adopted an opinion on the cultivation of GMO's in the EU, CESE 1623/2010 (NAT/480). The opinion was of a predominantly legal character. Nevertheless, it concerns an issue which is extremely complex in nature, and on which many different opinions exist between Member States. A long series of amendments were tabled on the draft opinion both in the Section and the Plenary. Furthermore, given the fact that the file is currently at the centre of discussion between EU institutions and that a total review of the EU legislative framework for GMO's is foreseen in 2012, the Committee may have to take a position again next year.

Therefore, the requesting body is of the opinion that the issue of GMO's merits a supplementary opinion to explore the state of affairs in biotechnology and shed some light on the more technical questions of its application.

The own-initiative opinion, prepared by the EESC Permanent Study Group on Sustainable Food Systems, will aim to identify existing challenges, policy inconsistencies and obstacles to a more coherent food policy approach at EU level; to provide examples of ongoing transitions to more sustainable food policies at local/regional/national level; to highlight the role of civil society in building partnerships among stakeholders across the food supply chain; and to define how a comprehensive food policy for the EU should look, including an indicative roadmap.