Opportunity for NGT plants missed in 2023

There was reason to fear that the EU Agriculture Ministers could not reach a qualified majority on the EU Commission's NGT proposal at their last meeting in Brussels in 2023. The EU Commission's proposal did not achieve a qualified majority. The EU Commission had recommended that certain NGT-bred plants be more easily approved in the EU. Genetic engineering law should largely not apply to them or only apply to a limited extent. The AGCT had already issued a video informed.

The proposed regulation would have been required for approval by the member states and the EU Parliament in a trilogue. The necessary opinions could not be obtained from the member states, as some of them were concerned about patents on plants bred using genetically modified organisms (NGT). Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) also viewed the coexistence of agriculture with and without genetic engineering as being at risk. Therefore, as expected, differing positions within the federal government led Germany to abstain from the corresponding vote.

What will happen next with the EU Commission's planned NGT regulation remains unclear. ... We'll keep you updated.