Deal between the Council of the EU and European Parliament agrees path for new genomic techniques to be regulated in same manner as conventional breeding methods
Fruit and vegetable varieties developed using new methods of plant breeding, including gene editing, are to be approved for commercial production and sale in the European Union, following a landmark announcement in Brussels.
The agreement is regarded by many in the fresh produce business as a major breakthrough in the face of climate change pressures and stricter rules on the use of crop protection products.
It can now be enshrined in law after the Council of the EU and the European Parliament struck a deal to regulate certain so-called new genomic techniques (NGTs) – ones that alter a plant’s genetic material – in exactly the same manner as conventional breeding methods.
The legislators who negotiated the new regulation have agreed to exempt NGT1 plants – which means those that could also occur naturally or through conventional breeding – from most of the precautionary requirements of EU legislation on genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
However, all other plants (referred to as NGT2) will remain subject to those rules.
The rules are expected to apply to crops originating both in the EU and from outside it.
‘Practical solutions’
European farming associations Copa and Cogeca welcomed the news. It said the new regulation was “the only initiative under the Farm to Fork Strategy of the European Green Deal to provide concrete and practical solutions for mitigating the effects of climate change, while addressing the shrinking toolbox available to European farmers”.
By enabling responsible access to these advanced plant-breeding methods, it added, the legislation should accelerate the development of improved plant varieties – including those that can better withstand drought, heat stress, and pests.
“This agreement marks a turning point for European agriculture. NGTs provide real and tangible tools to tackle the current and future challenges in climate, environment, and food security that the European Union faces,” said Thor Gunnar Kofoed, chair of the groups’ working party on seeds. “It addresses the urgent need for solutions to help farmers adapt to rapidly changing conditions.”
Swedish MEP Jessica Polfjärd commented: “This is a historic day. The EU is taking its first step towards giving farmers access to new, Nobel Prize-winning technology. Technology that will allow them to grow crops that can withstand climate change and deliver higher yields on less land.”
She continued: “This is crucial for strengthening our food security. Today’s agreement is a breakthrough that boosts not only our farmers’ competitiveness, but also Europe’s position in research and innovation.”
