The European Parliament has officially adopted new rules governing plants developed using new genomic techniques (NGTs), completing a legislative process that began with a provisional agreement between Parliament and Council in December 2025.
The reform is being hailed by industry as a turning point for European plant breeding, enabling faster access to crops with traits such as climate resilience, pest resistance, higher yields and reduced pesticide use.
At its core, the regulation represents a fundamental shift in how the EU approaches genetic innovation: from process-based regulation to product-based oversight.
Under the new framework, plants will be assessed based on their genetic characteristics, not the technique used to develop them – a principle long championed by multinational seed and biotech companies including Bayer, Syngenta and Corteva.
A two-tier system reshapes the rules
The regulation introduces a dual classification system that effectively redraws the regulatory landscape:
NGT-1: Fast-track to market
- Covers plants with genetic changes comparable to those achievable through conventional breeding
- Once verified, these plants are treated like conventional crops
- Excludes herbicide-tolerant and insecticidal traits
- Will be listed in a public EU database, with seeds labelled as NGT-1
NGT-2: Continued GMO oversight
- Covers more complex or extensive modifications
- Remains subject to existing GMO rules, including risk assessments and authorisation
- Subject to full traceability and labelling
- Member states can still restrict cultivation
The rules apply equally to domestic and imported products, aligning the EU more closely with major agricultural exporters where gene-edited crops are already entering markets – from drought-tolerant maize to low-gluten wheat.
Industry wins long-pursued ‘global model’
For agribusiness majors, the EU’s move is a clear validation of a regulatory philosophy they have promoted globally for over a decade.
The “product-based” approach – where gene-edited crops resembling conventionally bred varieties are exempt from strict GMO rules – mirrors regulatory pathways already established in countries such as the US, Brazil and parts of Asia.
Industry groups were quick to underline the significance.
A coalition of 30 agri-food organisations, including CropLife Europe and Euroseeds, described the outcome as: “a balanced and science-based approach that enables innovation in plant breeding while ensuring transparency, safety, and legal clarity.”
Garlich von Essen, secretary general of Euroseeds, called it: “a milestone for plant breeding innovation… [that recognises] the need for more technology openness, competitiveness and productivity.”
Farm groups echoed this sentiment. Copa and Cogeca said the rules would unlock next-generation crop varieties, enabling farmers to cope with climate stress, disease pressure, and volatile yields.
The decision also preserves the possibility of patenting NGT-derived innovations, albeit with safeguards aimed at preventing excessive market concentration and protecting farmers’ rights to save seeds.
A calculated compromise on transparency
While industry pushed for lighter regulation, the EU has included elements designed to maintain oversight and public trust such as:
- Mandatory labelling and traceability for NGT-2 crops
- A public database of NGT-1 plants
- Monitoring of sustainability impacts
- Continued ban of NGT use in organic production
However, the compromise stops short of imposing full traceability or consumer labelling for NGT-1 plants – a key sticking point in negotiations.
This balancing act reflects Brussels’ attempt to align with innovation-driven markets while preserving elements of the EU’s precautionary approach.
NGOs warn of ‘de facto deregulation’
Despite some concessions, the reform has triggered strong opposition from environmental and consumer groups – opposition that companies will now have to navigate as the rules are implemented.
Across organisations including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth Europe and SAFE, the criticism converges on a central claim: the new rules amount to a de facto deregulation of GMOs, shifting risk to consumers, farmers and the environment while favouring large biotech firms.
SAFE (Safe Food Advocacy Europe) said it “regrets the approval” of the regulation, arguing that key safeguards proposed by MEPs were dropped during final negotiations.
Deputy director Luigi Tozzi was particularly critical of the NGT-1 category, stating: “This new regulation will create an entire category of invisible and undetectable NGT plants… with no labelling or traceability requirements whatsoever.”
NGOs argue that this will undermine consumer choice, making it difficult to avoid GM-derived products, create contamination risks for organic and GM-free supply chains and entrench the market position of large seed companies through patents.
The next battleground: implementation and perception
With the legislation set to enter into force 20 days after publication in the EU Official Journal – and full application expected within two years – attention is now shifting to implementation.
Key outstanding elements include secondary legislation and technical guidance, a Code of Conduct on intellectual property and practical rules for traceability and coexistence
Industry is already calling for a fast, science-based rollout, warning that delays could blunt Europe’s competitiveness.
But NGOs are likely to focus on implementation details that could tighten oversight, national-level restrictions on NGT-2 cultivation and public campaigns around transparency and labelling.
