EU adopts rules for gene-edited plants

The EU has adopted a regulation on plants obtained with new genomic techniques (NGT), such as gene editing. On 5 May the Council formally adopted the text.

Plants with changes that could also occur naturally or through conventional breeding (category 1) will be treated like conventional crops. Plants with more complex modifications (category 2) stay under the GMO rules, including authorisation, traceability and labelling. The rules are expected to apply from 2028, after a two-year implementation period. EU IP Helpdesk