PreSto GMO ERA-Net

The goal of the PreSto GMO ERA‐Net project is to take key preparatory steps towards the planning and implementation of an ERA‐Net action. This research coordination programme will streamline transnational research on the effects of GMOs in the areas of human and animal health, environment and techno‐economic impacts. The focus of the ERA-Net will be on GMOs which are intentionally released into the environment and/or used immediately in feed and food applications.
PreSto GMO ERA-Net brings together ministries, agencies and funding bodies from different Members States the scientific community in order to jointly prepare a strategic plan and roadmap for the implementation of the ERA-Net.
In addition, the ERA-Net will explicitly take into account the wide range of views of a broad diversity of stakeholders and end-users. This aims to enhance collaboration between actors, to increase the relevance of the ERA-Net research programme and its future results also from a broader societal perspective and to encourage participation of different scientific communities in future joint transnational calls.
The project will create a sound basis for a robust ERA-Net proposal, by

• Identifying gaps in the existing knowledge relevant for risk-benefit considerations of current and future GMO applications.
• Significantly improving the alignment of ongoing and future research programmes of the individual Member States, in order to avoid duplication of work, to leverage complementarities, and to enhance cooperation between scientists from all over Europe to create an internationally recognizable critical mass in terms of expertise and capacities.
• Promoting the accessibility of existing scientific information to interested stakeholders, regulators and end-users.
• Supporting an open communication and dialogue on all societally relevant issues associated with GMOs that takes into account both benefits and risks. This will allow making an informed choice about whether and how biotechnologies can be used to deliver solutions to the current and future challenges in agriculture and other areas.