Meet the Citizens' Committee
We started this initiative as a group of young Master's students from eight EU member states. We met during our studies at Wageningen University and Research and started this initiative to foster responsible agricultural innovation in the EU.
With backgrounds in food safety, food law, environmental studies, plant sciences, economics and biotechnology, we have joined forces to urge the European Commission to act. We wish to see an improvement to the outdated legislation on plant breeding in the EU.
Want to know more? We are always happy to answer your questions and exchange views here.
Lavinia Scudiero
Lavinia is a veterinarian currently pursuing a Master's in Food Safety Law and Regulatory Affairs. She co-founded the initiative with the aim to implement in the EU more progressive and sustainable farming practices.
Oli Svilečić
Oli is currently studying Food Law and Regulatory Affairs. She co-founded the initiative because her goal is to improve the legal system in EU concerning Food Safety.
Eva Bataller Perelló
Eva is a biotechnologist currently pursuing a Master's in Management, Economics and Consumer Studies in life sciences. She co-founded this initiative to promote innovation and progress in agriculture.
Miguel Leitão
Miguel studies Plant Biotechnology and is concerned about the future of plant breeding in Europe. He co-founded this initiative to contribute to food safety and security for the next generations.
Miltiadis Roidis
Miltiadis is studying his Master's in Management, Economics and Consumer Studies in life sciences. He co-founded this initiative because he believes that with the use of NPBTs, agri-businesses can shift towards more sustainable operations while simultaneously increasing crop yields.
Martina Helmlinger
Martina studied Safety in the Food Chain with a Food Law specialisation. She co-founded the initiative because she is convinced that an update of the legislation is imperative for the safe, responsible and sustainable use of new plant breeding techniques in the EU.
Lilli Schütz
Lilli is pursuing a Master’s in Crop Sciences and she co-founded this initiative to contribute to solutions of global challenges such as food security, environmental sustainability and climate change.
Dick Bakker
Dick is studying Food Law and Regulatory Affairs and has co-founded this initiative out of the confidence that improved plant breeding can help the transition towards a bio-based economy.
Jibbe Keulen
Jibbe is currently studying Biotechnology, and co-founded this initiative to contribute to EU legislation to help implement effective and safe plant breeding policies.
