EU regulation on new genomic techniques cleared for launch

The EU is ready to enter a new era for plant breeding after members of the European Parliament approved a regulation on New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), bringing to a near close almost five years of work to create legislation that was first proposed almost a decade ago.

Broadly speaking, NGTs encompass new, gene-editing technologies such as Crispr that allow breeders to make precise changes to a plant’s DNA without introducing foreign genetic material.

In December 2025, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament reached a landmark agreement to regulate those new techniques in the same manner as conventional breeding methods.

The legislation is designed to accelerate innovation in agriculture while reducing the regulatory burden traditionally applied to genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

‘Faster, more precise’

Spanish fresh produce export association Fepex said it welcomed the regulation, saying it would allow “faster and more precise development” of new plant varieties which, it said, could better adapt to challenges in agriculture.

The approved framework includes what is described as a “proportionality-based” approach to NGTs, one that differentiates between modifications that could be obtained through conventional breeding – although with some exceptions – and those that will remain under the same restrictions as GMOs.

“Fepex considers the update of the regulatory framework a long-awaited necessity to adapt legislation to scientific progress and facilitate access to tools already used by producers and breeders in other competing countries,” it continued.

It is predicted that NGTs will fast-track the development of varieties that are more resistant to pests and diseases, better able to survive drought and high temperatures, and require less water, fewer nutrients, and fewer crop protection applications.

“For the fruit and vegetable sector, these tools can contribute to more resilient crops in the face of climate change, improve the sustainability of farms, and strengthen their profitability,” Fepex added.

“They also offer new opportunities for the development of flowers, ornamental plants, and plant material better adapted to market demands and new environmental conditions.”

New generation of crops

Farming organisations Copa and Cogeca also welcomed the decision, and predicted it would open the door to a new generation of crop varieties for European agriculture.

“At a time when European agriculture faces increasing climate, environmental and market challenges, access to better-performing crop varieties is essential to ensure food security, sustainability and competitiveness,” it stated.

With the legislative process now completed, it said, attention would turn to the EC’s the regulation’s implementation and enforcement.

The final approved regulation text must now be published in the EU’s Official Journal, at which point it will enter into force and set the timer for it to apply two years later, which means in 2028.

“The new framework is expected to become fully operational within the next two years,” Copa and Cogeca noted. “It is therefore essential that work on the secondary legislation starts without delay, providing legal clarity and ensuring that innovation can reach farmers and agri-cooperatives as quickly as possible.”

It concluded: “Today’s vote is a major milestone. The focus must now be on delivering the rules and guidance that will allow effectively European farmers to access the next generation of crop varieties and fully realise the benefits of this innovation.”