The EU has published the first comprehensive evaluation of the contribution of modern biotechnology to major European Union policy goals in a report entitled ‘Consequences, Opportunities and Challenges of Modern Biotechnology for Europe’. The report found that modern biotechnology accounts for up to 1.69% of the EU economy, comparable to other major sectors such as agriculture (1.79%) or chemicals (1.95%). Furthermore, biotechnology was found to boost the competitiveness of EU companies, while the high level of training needed to work with biotechnology applications is leading to the creation of ‘better jobs’.
