Overview
- The European Parliament ratified the compromise on June 17, 2026, finalizing two legal categories for new genomic techniques that change how edited plants are regulated.
- Under the change, NGT1 plants with modest edits face far lighter approval rules, no mandatory supermarket labeling for food, and reduced field documentation while NGT2 plants remain strictly regulated.
- The law permits patents on gene‑edited seeds and calls for a public patent registry and a voluntary EU code of conduct to guide licensing and disputes as part of the implementation process.
- Critics from Green and Social Democratic groups and environmental NGOs warn the move will cut consumer choice, weaken traceability needed to protect organic and GMO‑free farms, and could concentrate market power among large seed firms.
- Implementation steps now include technical guidance, the patent code and database, and national transposition with an expected application date around mid‑2028, and experts say the goal is to speed breeding for drought and pest resilience while legal and practical challenges remain.