EU Parliament Set to Approve New Gene-Edited Crops in Landmark Vote
The European Parliament is poised to vote on Wednesday on new rules regulating New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) — a new generation of gene-edited crops that could fundamentally reshape European agriculture and food production. The vote, scheduled for 17 June in Strasbourg, represents the culmination of a three-year legislative process that began with the European Commission’s proposal in July 2023.
What Are New Genomic Techniques?
New Genomic Techniques refer to modern gene-editing technologies, most notably CRISPR/Cas9, that allow precise modifications to a plant’s genome without introducing foreign DNA. This distinguishes them from first-generation genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which are transgenic — meaning they contain DNA from another species. According to the European Parliament, the objective is to make the food system more sustainable by enabling the development of crops that are climate and pest resistant, give higher yields, or require fewer fertilisers and pesticides.
The Two-Category Compromise
The regulation, provisionally agreed between Parliament and Council in December 2025, creates a two-tier system. NGT-1 plants — those with a limited number of genetic changes that could have occurred naturally or through conventional breeding — will be treated as equivalent to conventional varieties, with no mandatory risk assessment or specific labelling on final food products. NGT-2 plants, which involve more extensive modifications, will remain subject to existing strict GMO rules, including risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), authorisation, labelling, and traceability.
As SeedWorld reports, the compromise text explicitly prohibits NGTs resistant to herbicides or producing insecticides, and no NGTs will be permitted in organic agriculture.
Deep Divisions in Agriculture
The debate has fractured Europe’s farming community. Major farm unions represented by Copa-Cogeca support NGTs as a tool for innovation and climate resilience. Garlich von Essen, Secretary General of Euroseeds, called the committee vote “a major step forward for European agriculture and a clear recognition that plant breeding innovation must be part of Europe’s toolbox.”
However, small-scale farmers and the organic sector are vehemently opposed. The European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC), which organised a protest in Strasbourg on Tuesday, warned that the law would “strip away essential EU GMO safeguards for a whole new generation of GM plants.” In a joint statement, the coalition argued there would be “no mandatory risk assessment, no protection against contamination, no detection and identification protocols, and no labelling for the products.”
The Patent Battle
The most contentious issue heading into Wednesday’s vote is intellectual property. The Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group has tabled 16 last-minute amendments focused on patent licensing frameworks, public databases, and traceability requirements. French S&D MEP Christophe Clergeau warned against “large international actors” monopolising expensive patents, creating “additional costs and dependency” for farmers, as reported by RTBF.
If adopted, these amendments would trigger a conciliation procedure that could delay final adoption by a year or more. Bill Wirtz of the Consumer Choice Center urged Parliament to reject the amendments, arguing that “every month of delay costs European farmers their competitiveness and costs consumers their choice.”
The Labelling Controversy
A key consumer concern is that NGT-1 products will not require labelling on final food products. While seed bags must indicate NGT-1 content, consumers shopping at supermarkets will have no way to know if their food was produced using gene-edited ingredients. Environmental and consumer organisations have criticised this as a transparency failure.
What Happens Next
The vote is expected to pass with broad cross-party support from the centre-right to the centre. If the compromise holds, the regulation will be formally adopted by the Council shortly thereafter, giving EU farmers access to NGT-1 crops within a few years. Several years of field testing and commercialisation will follow before NGT-derived foods reach consumers.
If the S&D amendments succeed, the process enters conciliation — a political unknown that could either strengthen the regulation or delay it indefinitely. The outcome will determine whether the EU maintains its longstanding precautionary approach to genetic modification or joins the United States, Japan, Argentina, and Canada in embracing gene-edited crops as a tool for agricultural resilience in an era of climate change.