The new legal framework will support seed businesses, significantly reducing the administrative burden, while maintaining high EU safety standards.
The European Commission (EC) released a press release on December 4, 2025, emphasizing that this is a landmark step, paving the way for innovation in the breeding industry, while contributing to increasing competitiveness and promoting sustainable agriculture on the continent.
Two legal routes for NGT crops
The agreement reached between the European Parliament and the EU Council will facilitate more resilient crop varieties to climate change, giving farmers faster access to new advances in breeding and reducing the need for fertilizers and pesticides, the EC said.
In addition, the new legal framework will support seed businesses, significantly reducing the administrative burden, while still maintaining high EU safety standards for plants and products originating from NGT.
The EC Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Olivér Várhelyi, said the agreement was “a milestone in the application of innovation in agriculture”, making the European food and seed industry more globally competitive, while also helping the EU respond effectively to growing challenges such as new pests and diseases.
The new legal framework classifies NGT crops into two groups:
NGT group 1: includes varieties that are assessed as equivalent to natural varieties or varieties created through traditional breeding methods. These varieties are subject to a simplified legal process and are exempt from regulations for genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
NGT group 2: includes varieties that do not meet group 1 criteria and continue to comply with the same management process as GM crops - including risk assessment, pre-commercialization authorization, traceability and mandatory labeling.
Thus, genetically modified plant varieties with small, directional mutations or the insertion of genetic material from the same species/organism with the ability to cross-breed (cisgenesis, intragenesis) will be managed similarly to traditional varieties and not follow the GMO process.
In parallel with technical regulations, the EU also tightens transparency regarding patents related to NGT plant varieties.
When registering a Group 1 NGT plant or product, companies must provide full information on existing or pending patents. This data will be made public in a common EU database. Companies can also voluntarily disclose the conditions for granting licenses to exploit varieties to ensure fairness.
The Council and the EU Parliament also agreed to set up a group of experts on patents, with representatives from the Member States, the European Patent Office and the Community Plant Variety Protection Office.
Within one year of the regulation coming into force, the EC will assess the impact of the patent system on innovation, farmers' access to seeds and the competitiveness of the seed industry, and propose adjustments if necessary.
The new regulation will be formally approved by the EU Council and the European Parliament before becoming law. The text is expected to be published in the EU Official Journal in 2026 and come into force two years later.
The implementation process will be accompanied by a rigorous monitoring program to assess the economic , environmental and social impacts of NGT crop varieties, particularly in ensuring safety and promoting sustainable development.
The deal is expected to mark a major shift in European agricultural policy, opening up innovation opportunities for breeders and supporting farmers in the face of the growing challenges of climate change.
Do Huong
Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/khung-phap-ly-moi-cho-cay-trong-chinh-sua-gen-tai-chau-au-102251208152729321.htm
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