Gene edited crops should be exempted from GM food laws, says EU lawyer

Technology can help foster specific positive traits in plants but can also have potentially dangerous 'off-target' effects, say critics

Gene editing technologies should be largely exempted from EU laws on GM food, although individual states can regulate them if they choose, the European court's advocate general has said.

The opinion may have far-reaching consequences for new breeding techniques that can remove specific parts of a plant's genetic code and foster herbicide-resistant traits.