After nearly a decade of legal wrangling and a high-stakes patent compromise, the European Union has taken its final major step toward deregulating gene-edited crops. On June 17, the European Parliament voted 431-201 to adopt a new regulatory framework that creates a two-tier system for plants developed through New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), most notably CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing.
The new law, expected to enter into force in July 2026 with full application beginning two years later, represents the most significant shift in European plant biotechnology regulation since the 2018 Court of Justice of the European Union ruling that classified all gene-edited organisms as GMOs subject to the bloc’s strict Directive 2001/18/EC.
The core reform is a move from regulating plants by how they were developed to regulating them by what their final genetic profile looks like.
Under the new system, plants fall into one of two categories:
NGT-1 covers plants with “modest” edits, genetic changes that could theoretically have occurred through conventional breeding or natural mutation. This includes single base-pair changes, small deletions, or the introduction of a gene from a sexually compatible species (cisgenesis). These plants will be treated essentially like conventionally bred varieties: no mandatory food labeling (only seed and reproductive material must be labeled), no traceability requirements, and their offspring require no further regulatory checks. However, NGT-1 status is explicitly excluded for plants engineered to tolerate herbicides or produce known insecticidal substances.
NGT-2 covers plants with more extensive modifications, including transgenics, the introduction of genes from unrelated species. These remain under the existing GMO framework, requiring full EFSA risk assessment, authorization, traceability, and mandatory labeling. Member states also retain the right to opt out of NGT-2 cultivation on their territory.
The patent compromise
The final political hurdle was not about safety but about patents. The European Parliament’s initial negotiating position, adopted in February 2024, included a full ban on patents for NGT-1 plants, a demand backed by the Greens, the Left, and the Socialists & Democrats. The patent question became the central sticking point in trilogue negotiations with the Council.
The compromise, reached in December 2025 and formally confirmed this week, strips the patent ban. Instead, the law includes transparency measures: developers must disclose patent information to a public database, voluntary licensing declarations are permitted, and an expert group including the European Patent Office and the Community Plant Variety Office will monitor the situation. The European Commission is required to publish a study on patent impacts within one year of the law’s entry into force.
The vote was preceded by a failed last-minute effort from the S&D, Greens/Left, and ESN groups to reintroduce 37 amendments that would have reinstated the patent ban, imposed end-product labeling, and strengthened traceability requirements. All were rejected. The S&D group itself was split, the Spanish delegation notably broke ranks to support the deal.
The scientific backing
The regulatory shift is underpinned by a growing scientific consensus. The European Food Safety Authority has repeatedly concluded that targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis do not introduce new hazards compared to conventional breeding. A 2026 EFSA study compiling recent literature confirmed that “none of the studies identified… contained new hazards or risks that had not previously been taken into account in EFSA’s scientific opinions” (DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2026.9929).
EU-SAGE, a network of more than 130 European research institutes, called the law “a landmark decision for science, innovation, and sustainable agriculture in Europe.” The European Commission’s Joint Research center provided case studies on disease-resistant potatoes and apples (via cisgenesis) and low-gluten wheat (via gene editing) that underpinned the Commission’s initial 2023 impact assessment.
Stakeholder reactions
The law has drawn sharp battle lines. Agricultural industry groups, Euroseeds, Copa-Cogeca, FoodDrinkEurope, EuropaBio, and CropLife Europe, were strongly supportive, calling it a “balanced and science-based approach” to enabling climate-resilient and disease-resistant crops. The Irish Farmers’ Association described NGTs as vital for the economic survival of tillage farmers.
“The vote gives green light for science and innovation in sustainable agriculture,” said Jessica Polfjärd (EPP, Sweden), the Parliament’s rapporteur and lead negotiator on the NGT file.
Environmental and organic farming groups were disappointed. IFOAM Organics Europe said it remains committed to producing food without GMOs or NGTs. Arche Noah warned of approximately 2,000 NGT-related patent applications already filed, calling the vote a missed chance to shield farmers from corporate consolidation. Christophe Clergeau, a French MEP from the S&D group, described the law as “a form of privatisation of life.”
What comes next
The law enters into force 20 days after publication in the EU Official Journal, expected in July 2026. Full application begins in July 2028, giving the Commission and member states a two-year transition period. Within one year of entry into force, the Commission must publish its patent impact study and propose a voluntary code of conduct for the licensing of NGT-1 plants.
Disclosure: This article is based on EU legislative and policy documents and reporting by Science.org, Euractiv, and Science|Business. No new peer-reviewed scientific paper was published alongside this policy announcement.
Source: Science AAAS, “With new law, European Union can more quickly greenlight gene-edited crops” (June 18, 2026). https://www.science.org/content/article/new-law-european-union-can-more-quickly-greenlight-gene-edited-crops