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EU member states agreed on Friday, based on a text prepared by the Polish presidency, on a common position on regulations concerning the use of new genomic techniques (NGT) in plant breeding. Negotiations with the European Parliament on this matter may begin at the end of April.
On Friday, ambassadors from EU member states, under the leadership of the Polish presidency, concluded negotiations over new NGT regulations that had been ongoing for more than a year and a half and overseen by the previous three presidencies, namely Spanish, Belgian, and Hungarian.
The aim is to exempt plants created using certain NGT techniques from the restrictive rules on genetically modified food, known as GMO, which they were previously subject to. This was unjustified because, as EU lawmakers argue, the differences between NGT and GMO are too significant for the techniques to be regulated in the same way. In the case of GMO, there is cross-breeding of species, and whole “packages” of foreign genes are introduced into the plants, although genomic techniques allow such precise modifications that they could occur naturally. The new regulations aim to increase the resilience of crops to climate changes, such as droughts or floods, and to reduce the use of pesticides and artificial fertilizers.
The proposed legislation divides NGT plants into two categories that will be subject to different regulations. The first is NGT1, meaning plants that have undergone such minor modifications that they can also be achieved using conventional methods, and new genomic techniques simply accelerate this process. The second group is NGT2, referring to plants where more than 20 modifications have been made, and achieving such a result in nature would be rather difficult.
The first group is to be excluded from GMO regulations, while the second will still be subjected to restrictions, with breeders required to conduct risk assessments related to plant breeding and obtain approval to market them. Countries will be able to ban the breeding of NGT2.
The agreed draft regulation also excludes the use of NGT techniques in organic farming.
Member states will now start negotiations with the EP, including the rules for patenting and labeling NGT. Here, as is said in Brussels, talks may be complicated because there are only a few new genomic technologies, and all are someone’s property. They are typically owned by universities or research units that license them to large companies, which in turn produce the already modified seed material.
Currently, the market is dominated by four international multinationals, while EU states believe that breeding should be widely accessible to farmers rather than being in the hands of large corporations. Therefore, the draft regulation mentions the establishment of an expert group on NGT patents, and the document obliges the CE to prepare a report on the impact of patenting on breeding and sector competitiveness a year after the regulations come into effect. Discussions will also focus on rules for labeling NGT plants, especially those in the second category.
According to EU sources, despite reaching an agreement on further negotiations, positions among EU capitals are divided. The UK is a pioneer in using NGT for plant breeding, while within the EU, there are several so-called hawk states that would like to adopt British methods, including permitting the use of NGT in organic production. These include Sweden, Denmark, and Spain.
There are also skeptical countries, which for various reasons include Germany and Austria. Austria’s skepticism stems from being a leader responsible for 25% of organic production in the EU, thus economically opposing the introduction of NGT plants into their crops. Germany’s skepticism is rooted in political reasons, as the agriculture ministry is still held by the Greens, who distance themselves from NGT.
In Poland, the topic of NGT has not been discussed for years. Even in 2023, after the CE presented the draft regulations, authorities issued a negative opinion. The agriculture ministry has recently addressed the issue, and the government is willing to negotiate.
Large European agricultural organizations, such as COPA and COGECA, are positive about the work, emphasizing in a statement issued on Wednesday the importance of legislation for ensuring food security in Europe and restoring innovation. (14..03.2025)