The European Parliament has passed new rules surrounding new genomic techniques (NGTs). The vote took place on Wednesday 17 June.

A statement from the Parliament said the new rules will facilitate “access to new plants that are climate and pest resistant, give higher yields or require fewer pesticides”.

The rules had been provisionally agreed between the Parliament and the European Council in December 2025.

The statement said: “According to the new rules, NGT-altered plants will be split between two categories. Those with a limited number and type of changes, and which could have occurred through conventional breeding, will be categorised as NGT-1 plants and treated like conventional plants.”

Readers may be familiar with the term gene-editing. This would fall into NGT-1 plants.

The statement continued: “All other NGT plants will fall in the NGT-2 category and will continue to be covered by the existing strict GMO rules, which includes risk assessment, authorisation, labelling, traceability and member-state opt-outs for cultivation.”

Opposition

There was opposition to the new rules by some organisations concerned about a risk of GMO plants entering the food chain.

The new rules allow NGTs to be patented, but safeguards must be in place for affordability and fair access to farmers.

Euroseeds, which represents seed companies and breeders in Europe, called for a rejection of any amendments earlier this week saying they would delay the use of these new methods, adding that “Europe’s plant breeding sector needs to urgently catch up with the rest of the world”.