BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - A majority of the European Parliament's Environment Committee has voted in favor of relaxed genetic engineering regulations in the EU. If plants bred using so-called new genetic engineering can also be created using conventional methods, they should in future be exempt from strict EU regulations, as a majority in the committee decided. According to Parliament on Wednesday, 47 politicians voted in favor of deregulation and 31 against.

Before the new regulations can come into force, a majority in the entire EU Parliament must also speak out in favor of the project - a vote is planned for February. A compromise must then be negotiated with the EU member states.

The Committee's position is based on a proposal from the EU Commission. According to the proposal, many genetically modified food and animal feed products should be easier to research in the EU in future and sold without special labeling. The MEPs have now largely followed this recommendation. They also demand that seeds of deregulated breeds be labeled and that a list of all such plants be published on the Internet.

Politicians from the CDU and FDP view the relaxation positively, as do numerous scientists. Advocates of the technology hope, for example, for varieties that are better able to cope with climate change, have more nutrients or require less pesticides. Politicians from the Greens and the SPD, however, were critical on Wednesday. They see risks for people and the environment from new breeds./mjm/DP/jha