📋 Tender Overview
At todays meeting of the Committee of Deputy Permanent Representatives (Coreper I), the final compromise text was given to the member states for approval, resulting from the agreement in principle reached at the beginning of the month in tripartite negotiations regarding the proposal for a regulation on plants obtained with new genomic techniques and on food and feed. The Republic of Slovenia does not support the agreed solutions.Seeds | Credit: Boarding2Now/Depositphotos.com
On 3 December 2025, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached a provisional agreement on the proposal for a regulation on plants obtained by new genomic techniques (NGT) and on food and feed, establishing a legislative framework in this area at Union level.
The agreement includes a simplified approval process for NGT-1 plants that are equivalent to conventional ones, with their progeny not subject to additional verification. NGT-1 plants and products from them are not labeled, except for seeds and reproductive material. This allows operators to maintain NGT-free chains if they wish. The list of excluded traits for NGT-1 includes tolerance to herbicides and production of a known insecticidal substance; such plants belong to the NGT-2 category, where stricter regulations apply, including mandatory labeling and traceability. Member States can use the right to prohibit the cultivation of NGT-2 plants on their territory (opt-out), while at the same time they have the option of introducing measures to prevent the accidental presence of these plants in other crops. The agreement also regulates intellectual property issues: registration of NGT-1 plants requires the submission of all patents or published patent applications in a publicly accessible database, and companies can also voluntarily indicate their intention to license. In addition, an expert group on patents will be established to study the impact of patenting on innovation and the competitiveness of the sector. The Commission will carry out a study on the impact of patents on seed availability, innovation and competitiveness of the European plant breeding sector one year after the Regulation comes into force, with the possibility of further legislative action if necessary.
According to Slovenia, the agreement does not address key issues such as risk assessment, labelling, traceability, analysis methods, the possibility of independent decision-making by member states and production conditions, which Slovenia consistently and actively pointed out during the hearing. Due to the lack of appropriate tools, in Slovenias opinion, official control would be extremely difficult. Unintended genetic changes that arise from the use of new genomic techniques (NGT) and may differ from random mutations require the precautionary principle and a preliminary risk assessment. Without it, there could be negative impacts on production, human and animal health, and the environment. Regarding patenting, Slovenia emphasizes that this issue should primarily be regulated within the framework of patent legislation.
For the stated reasons, Slovenia does not support the agreement and opposes the adoption of the regulation in the proposed form. Slovenia is not opposed to progress, but advocates the introduction of innovations with the necessary caution, taking into account scientific findings and protecting health, the environment and the possibility of choice over economic interests, especially when releasing organisms into the environment, which is an irreversible process with potential long-term consequences.
