(EU) New Rules on NGT Crops Adopted

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union formally adopted a new regulation on new genome technology (NGT) crops (Regulation (EU) 2026/1388) on June 17, establishing a new framework for the regulation of gene-edited crops in the EU. The regulation will take effect 20 days after its publication in the official gazette of the European Union and will apply from July 17, 2028. Before it is officially applied, the relevant plants and their food and feed will still be managed according to the current genetically modified regulations.

The new regulations divide NGT plants into two categories: one category of NGT plants is considered to be equivalent to varieties obtained from traditional breeding, and shall be regarded as conventional variety management after verification by member states. genetically modified regulations are not applicable. only seeds and other propagation materials need to be marked, and their offspring need not be checked again; The second category of NGT plants contains more complex genetic modifications, and the continued application of genetically modified regulations must be subject to risk assessment and authorization, and traceability and identification management. Plants with specific traits, such as herbicide tolerance or production of known insecticidal substances, are excluded from one category.

The new rules also introduce patent transparency arrangements: developers of a class of NGT plants are required to submit relevant patent information to a public database and may voluntarily declare their intention to license; the European Commission will develop a code of conduct for patents and set up an expert group to assess the impact of patents on access to genetic resources and innovation, with the participation of the European Patent Office. Member States may opt out of the cultivation of Class II NGT plants on their territory; NGT plants may not be used for organic agriculture.

The current EU genetically modified regulations were formulated in 2001, earlier than NGT technology. After the European Court of Justice ruled in 2018 that gene-edited crops should be managed according to genetic modification, the European Commission proposed this amendment in 2023. Supporters believe that the new regulations will help improve the competitiveness of the EU seed industry and agricultural sustainability, while opponents have doubts about patent and labeling arrangements. After the new regulations come into effect, the supporting authorization procedures and other implementation rules still need to be completed before the 2028 applicable date.

Source: European Commission Directorate General for Health and Food Safety; EU Council press release; Science | Business, June 2026.