The European Council and Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on the new regulatory framework for New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), supporting food security, innovation, and reduced dependence on external inputs.
Key Points of the Agreement:
1. Confirms that NGT-1 plants (those equivalent to conventional plants) will follow a simplified procedure, with:
- Verification only at first generation
- No mandatory labelling for food/feed products
- Labelling only for seeds and reproductive material
2. Defines an exclusion list of traits not allowed in NGT-1 (e.g., herbicide tolerance).
Image courtesy of our Member Cesare Varallo.
3. NGT-2 plants (with more complex changes) remain under full GMO legislation, including:
- Authorisation
- Labelling
- Traceability
- Monitoring
- Member State opt-out options.
4. Includes provisions to improve transparency on patents and licensing, including a public database and an expert group on patenting.
5. The European Commission will publish a study on patent impacts one year after entry into force.
Next steps
The provisional agreement will now have to be endorsed by the Council and the Parliament before it can be formally adopted.
Read full European Council press release.
