Stichting Wageningen Research
WR
WR is part of Wageningen University Research (WUR).
ID: 70699309784-62
Lobbying Activity
Meeting with Jeannette Baljeu (Member of the European Parliament)
3 Jul 2025 · NGTs
Meeting with Ton Diepeveen (Member of the European Parliament)
12 May 2025 · Kennismakingsgesprek
Response to EU Life sciences strategy
17 Apr 2025
Biotechnological advancements are needed in sustainable food production, starting from animal and plant breeding. We emphasize the need for strong R&I in breeding and biotechnology, integrating AI to drive innovation. Europe has the potential to become leader in Life Sciences and innovation. To fully leverage this potential, we advocate to accelerate the deployment of emerging, competitive technologies for sustainable food applications and ensure a clear understanding of these technologies by the general public/consumers. We recommend adopting coordinated actions on specific sectors of interest to trigger virtuous cycles in the European life sciences innovation system. Specifically for the agriculture and food industry sector we need more R&I coordination efforts for green transitions in areas such as: Strengthen Support for Fundamental Plant Science - It is concerning that fundamental plant research has nearly disappeared from the current Work Programs. A solid foundation in plant biology is essential for long-term innovation and resilience and is core to life sciences development. Promote Innovation at Crop and Variety Level - Sustainable food production requires innovative solutions, particularly at the crop and variety level. This includes the development of resilient, high-performing plant varieties tailored to changing environmental and agronomic conditions. Upcycling and valorization of agrifood side streams Circular and sovereign food systems need to become self-sustained as a strategy to achieve sustainable food security in Europe. Upcycling of side streams in the food production chain need research and valorization to become scalable substitutes of agricultural and food industrys imports. Manure to nitrogen-based fertilizers, industrial waste to food additives and materials. Biobased innovation and biotechnological approaches have the potential to become competitive strategies in emerging circular industries. Address the Broad Impacts of Climate Change on Agronomy - Climate change is affecting all facets of agronomyfrom disease dynamics and water availability to seed and fruit development. There is an urgent need to invest in new breeding strategies that can address these complex, interrelated challenges. Strengthen the Protein transition: Europe has the potential to lead on the protein transition when others are lagging. Europe needs more coordinated research collaborations on alternative proteins and more R&D investment. There are still research funding bottlenecks for alternative proteins; having ringfenced budgets for alternative proteins could fix this. Strengthening the potential between health and food, agriculture and biotechnology. This would enable plant biologists, breeders, crop processors, nutritional scientist and health experts to conduct interdisciplinary research and innovation in nutritional compounds for the human diet. This includes plant made pharmaceuticals for medical purposes. The new production methods based on plant-based, fermentation and other cell cultures can significantly accelerate the EU's achievement of sustainable development goals, and increase the EU's importance and effectiveness as a global player. Simplification of regulatory and financial frameworks for innovation: Europe needs an innovation-friendly legislative environment enabling the uptake of new technologies, particularly biotechnologies, by streamlining regulations. To support innovation processes in the life sciences sector, regulatory frameworks, particularly on gene-edited crops and recycling of plastics for food applications needs to be simplified and legitimized by both industry and society. Furthermore to accelerate getting biotechnological solutions to market, investment incentives must be improved. Pilot facilities are needed to enable transition from R&D to market. Ecosystems around universities may play a vital role by opening their Research Infrastructures / pilot facilities for SMEs.
Read full responseMeeting with Costas Kadis (Commissioner) and
7 Apr 2025 · Innovative fishing techniques
5 Mar 2025
Input from Wageningen University & Research in reply to the consultation concerning targeted amendments to the Common Market Organisation Regulation and other regulations relating to the common agricultural policy We would like to thank the European Commission for its public consultation concerning targeted amendments to the Common Market Organisation Regulation and other regulations relating to the common agricultural policy. Please find attached our comments, suggestions and proposals for improvement, especially as regards the amendment of Art. 210a of the CMO Regulation. The current proposal expands the scope of Art. 210a to socio-economic objectives: small farmers, young farmers, and working and safety conditions. These objectives do not concern sustainability, but desirable socio-economic outcomes. No externalities of agricultural production are concerned. The supplementary objectives thus do not fit into the legal logic of Art. 210a and distort its proper functioning. While we understand the need felt by the European Commission to address the socio-economic issues as regards small farms and young farmers, we are convinced that Art. 210a is not the place to address these concerns. Provisions already exist in the first and second CAP pillars (redistributive payments, young farmers). In so far as the toolkit needs expansion, a separate article concerning small farms, young farmers and working and safety conditions is needed, with a different intervention logic. We therefore recommend to refrain from expansion of Art. 210a of the CMO Regulation with socio-economic objectives and to place these in a distinct new article of its own, with a proper intervention logic. In case the expansion of Art. 210a is maintained by the legislator, the Guidelines to Art. 210a should be revised, with a separate intervention logic for environmental sustainability objectives versus socio-economic objectives.
Read full responseResponse to Use of veterinary medicinal products for diseases in terrestrial animals
1 Sept 2022
In ANNEX VIII "Infection with Rift Valley fever virus (RVF)" the type of vaccine to be used or prioritised are Inactivated vaccines.
As inactivated vaccines should be administrated several times before protection is observed the use of these vaccines in an emergency situation is not optimal. A next generation vector or live-attenuated vaccine (shown to be save in all target animals) would make more (also) sense.
I propose not to limit the type of Rift vaccines to inactivated only.
Read full responseMeeting with Janusz Wojciechowski (Commissioner) and
23 May 2022 · Ukraine-Crisis impacts on food security: tackling the short-term shock in view of the larger threats of the Climate- and Biodiversity-Crises
Meeting with Christiane Canenbley (Cabinet of Commissioner Phil Hogan)
25 Jul 2017 · Water related questions