Key Takeaways
- The EU Parliament has adopted new rules facilitating access to new genomic techniques (NGTs), splitting NGT-altered plants into two regulatory categories, NGT-1 and NGT-2, based on the extent of genetic modification.
- NGT-1 plants, limited to changes that could occur through conventional breeding, will be regulated like conventional plants, while NGT-2 plants remain subject to existing strict GMO authorisation and risk assessment rules.
- Plants engineered for herbicide tolerance or to produce insecticidal substances are excluded from NGT-1 status at Parliament's request.
- NGT-1 seed and reproductive material must be labelled and listed in a public EU database, while EU countries retain the right to restrict or prohibit cultivation of authorised NGT-2 plants.
- The rules permit patenting of NGTs, excluding naturally occurring traits or those produced by biological means, while preserving farmers' rights to save and replant seeds.
EU Parliament Adopts New Genomic Techniques Rules
The European Parliament has adopted new rules facilitating access to plants developed using new genomic techniques (NGTs) that are climate and pest resistant, offer higher yields, and require fewer pesticides. The amended rules were provisionally agreed between Parliament and Council in December 2025 and mark a shift toward regulating plants based on their final genetic characteristics rather than the method used to create them.
“This is a historic victory for Europe's farmers and Europe's future. By approving the use of NGTs, we have chosen innovation, competitiveness, and food security. European farmers have long been calling for access to these modern breeding tools, to help them develop crops that are more resilient and less dependent on pesticides. By making these safe, science-based breeding technologies available, Parliament is delivering for European farmers, safeguarding our food security, and building a more competitive and innovative Europe,” said rapporteur Jessica Polfjärd (EPP, SE).
NGT-1 and NGT-2: Two Categories, Two Sets of Rules
Under the new framework, NGT-1 covers plants with a limited number and type of changes that could have occurred through conventional breeding; once verified, these plants will be treated the same as conventionally bred crops. Plants engineered for herbicide tolerance or to produce insecticidal substances cannot qualify for NGT-1 status, based on a specific request from Parliament.
NGT-2 covers plants that have undergone more extensive or complex genetic modifications and remain subject to the EU's existing strict GMO regulations, including risk assessment and a requirement to obtain authorisation before commercialisation. The rules apply to plants both grown within Europe and imported from elsewhere; several NGT-derived products, including low-gluten wheat, pathogen-resistant potatoes, and drought-tolerant maize, are already on the market or in advanced development outside the EU.
EU Parliament Adds Patent Safeguards and Labelling Rules
Full traceability and labelling remain mandatory for NGT-2 plants, and EU member states may restrict or prohibit their cultivation even where authorised at the EU level. NGT-1 plant varieties will be listed in a public EU database, with seed bags and reproductive material required to carry an NGT-1 label so farmers can make informed choices. The regulation also mandates monitoring of the sustainability impacts of NGT plants, intended to steer their development toward climate and pest resistance traits.
No NGTs will be permitted in organic production, though the technically unavoidable presence of NGT-1 plants will not constitute non-compliance. On intellectual property, the rules permit patenting of NGTs except for traits or sequences occurring in nature or produced by biological means; MEPs added safeguards intended to prevent market concentration and preserve farmers' rights to save and replant seed varieties.
Industry Reaction from Cibus, Inari, and Pairwise
Plant breeding companies welcomed the legislation as a long-anticipated regulatory shift. Cibus President and Chief Operating Officer Peter Beetham, Ph.D., described the decision as the product of a rigorous, multi-year, science-based review, while CEO Craig Wichner said the framework opens access to one of the world's most important agricultural markets for multi-trait crop development.
Inari CEO Lisa Safarian called the legislation a meaningful shift toward a science-based approach to gene editing, while Fred Van Ex, the company's vice president of business development and strategy, pointed to mounting climate and input-cost pressures facing European growers. Pairwise CEO Tom Adams said the policy connects innovation directly to the field and the table, and the company's VP of Regulatory and Government Affairs, Dan Jenkins, credited European policymakers for keeping the legislation moving toward adoption alongside breeding tools already available elsewhere in the world.
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