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EU Reaches NGT Agreement to Support Innovation and Climate-Resilient Agriculture

Brussels — 4 December 2025 — The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament have reached a provisional political agreement on a new regulatory framework for New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), aiming to strengthen the EU’s food security, sustainability, and agricultural competitiveness.

The agreement introduces two regulatory categories:

  • Category 1 NGT plants, considered equivalent to conventionally bred plants, will follow a simplified approval pathway.
  • Category 2 NGT plants, including those with more complex modifications or traits of concern, will remain under stricter oversight.

EU leaders describe the reform as essential for enabling breeders to develop crops that are more productive, resource-efficient, and better adapted to climate stress — a key challenge for European agriculture.

The co-legislators also agreed on new transparency measures, including a patent-disclosure requirement for developers and the creation of an expert group to monitor access to genetic resources and licensing practices.

Industry and research organisations have broadly welcomed the agreement as a meaningful shift toward a more science-based and proportionate regulatory environment. Many see it as a chance for Europe to remain competitive in crop innovation at a time when climate pressures are accelerating worldwide.

The provisional agreement will now have to be endorsed by the Council and the Parliament before it can be formally adopted.

Although the Crop4Clima canola lines are not included in the NGT framework, the agreement nonetheless represents a valuable signal for the project:

  • It recognises that biotechnology is necessary for climate-resilient farming, directly aligning with Crop4Clima’s focus on developing crops that perform better under drought.
  • It reflects a broader shift toward science-based, innovation-friendly regulation, which may open space for future discussion on modernising legislation.

For projects like Crop4Clima, it is a welcome signal of political willingness to modernise biotechnology policy. The hope is that this momentum will continue — enabling advances in both NGTs and GMOs to contribute responsibly to Europe’s agricultural resilience.