New genomic techniques: the ENVI Committee votes in favour of the agreement before the final Plenary vote

The Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI Committee) of the European Parliament adopted the provisional agreement on 'Plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques and their food and feed' by 59 votes in favour, 24 against and 2 abstentions on 28/01/2026 in Brussels.

The trilogue agreement, concluded on 04/12/2025, still needs to be agreed upon during a Plenary vote, although it is not yet on the agenda of the next Plenary session from 9 to 12/02/2026. It also has to be formally endorsed by the Council.

The main elements of this agreement are the methods used to classify NGT plants into categories 1 and 2, the rules and processes to put them on the market, depending on their type, including traceability and labelling rules, and the intellectual property and patents concerns attached to these NGTs.

"The EU is taking its first step towards giving farmers access to new, Nobel Prize-winning technology, declared the rapporteur Jessica Polfjärd (EPP) on 04/12/2025. Technology that will allow them to grow crops that can withstand climate change and deliver higher…