Beyond GMOs: Policy & Regulation Workshop – two weeks to go

In just two weeks, Brussels will host a high-level policy and expert workshop dedicated to one of the most forward-looking topics at the intersection of environmental protection, biotechnology, and regulation: the use of laboratory-trained bacteria for environmental applications, including bioremediation.

Workshop details:

Policy Workshop: Beyond Genetically Modified Microorganisms: Policy, Regulatory and Scientific Aspects of Using Laboratory-Trained Bacteria for Environmental Applications

Date: 3 February 2026

Time: 14:00–18:00 CET

Venue: CSIC Brussels Office (Delegación del CSIC ante la UE), Spanish National Research CouncilRue du Trône 62, 1050 Brussels

Why “Beyond GMOs”?

Advances in synthetic biology and environmental biotechnology are moving rapidly beyond traditional genetically modified organisms (GMOs). New approaches — including laboratory-trained microorganisms - offer significant potential to address pressing environmental challenges such as soil and water pollution, ecosystem degradation, and climate resilience.

At the same time, these innovations raise important policy, regulatory, and governance questions. Existing regulatory frameworks were largely designed for earlier generations of biotechnology and may not fully reflect the scientific realities, risk profiles, and opportunities associated with these emerging solutions.

A space for evidence-based dialogue

The Beyond GMOs workshop is designed as a neutral, evidence-based forum bringing together policymakers, regulators, scientists, and innovation experts. The goal is not advocacy, but informed dialogue: exploring how policy and regulatory approaches can evolve to responsibly enable innovation while maintaining high standards of environmental and public safety.

Discussions will focus on:

• scientific and technological developments beyond classical GMOs,

• regulatory gaps and challenges,

• risk assessment and governance considerations,

• pathways toward future-proof regulation that balances precaution, innovation and sustainability.

Your perspective matters

If you are working at the intersection of policy, science, and environmental innovation, this workshop offers a timely opportunity to contribute to a conversation that will shape the future of environmental biotechnology in Europe.

Registration is open - join the discussion and help shape what comes beyond GMOs.

Participation available exclusively on-site in Brussels, Belgium.

Registration

---

AGENDA:

Session 1 – Innovation supporting the use of laboratory-trained bacteria for environmental remediation

Chair:  Giulio Zanaroli (Univ. of Bologna)

14:00 – 14:30 Bioremediation with GMOs for the environment: then and now

Victor de Lorenzo, Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CSIC), Spain

14:30 – 15:00 The Regulatory Puzzle: Accommodating biotechnology’s expanding horizons

Patrick Rüdelsheim, Perseus BV, Belgium

15:00 – 15:30 Taking stock of field tests of GMOs for Bioremediation and Nitrogen fixation and what we have learnt from them (on line).

Emma Frow, Arizona State University, School for the Future of Innovation in Society

15:30 – 15:45 Coffee break

Session 2 – Policy and regulatory frameworks for environmental applications

Chair: Victor de Lorenzo (CSIC-CNB, Madrid)

15:45 – 16:15 State of affairs on GMO legislation in the EU– where are we in 2026

Kathleen Lehmann. European Commission, DG Health and Food Safety

16:15 – 16:45. GMM release from an environmental perspective

Margret Engelhard. Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Germany

16:45 – 17:15 Lessons learned from soil ecology for successful and environmentally safe applications of field-released laboratory-trained bacteria

Christoph Tebbe, Thünen Institute for Biodiversity, Germany.

17:15– 17:45 General discussion