The divergent governance of gene editing in agriculture: a comparison of institutional reports from seven EU member states

How have national institutions and committees from EU member states positioned themselves regarding the use of gene editing in agriculture? To answer this question, this article examines and compares 11 official reports and position statements from 7 European countries: Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Denmark, and Sweden. The various kinds of issues that are addressed and arguments that are made in the reports are coded into large categories (innovation, risk, ethics, legislation, etc.) and are analyzed. The paper discusses the main similarities and differences in terms of how the governance of gene editing is problematized. In doing so, the paper aims to provide a useful resource to broaden debates on the future regulation of gene editing within and beyond Europe.