Green light for tea in agriculture: here are all the rules laid down by the EU

At the Parliament’s request, plants that have been genetically modified to be resistant to herbicides and to produce insecticidal substances cannot be classified under the NGT 1 category. This provision further highlights the difference between these plants and GMOs, which are often developed (as in the case of Bt maize) specifically to increase resistance to herbicides and thus encourage their use.

The second category (NGT 2) covers plants that have undergone more extensive (over 20) or complex genetic modifications. These will continue to be governed by the existing GMO regulations and will therefore be subject to risk assessment. Furthermore, they will need to obtain authorisation before they can be placed on the market in the EU. The rules will apply to both plants native to Europe and imported plants. Several products derived from NGT plants are already available on markets outside the EU, such as low-gluten wheat, pathogen-resistant potatoes and drought-tolerant maize.

Full traceability and labelling will remain mandatory for Ngt 2 plants, and EU countries may restrict or ban their cultivation even if they have been authorised within the Union. Plant varieties derived from or containing an Ngt 1 plant will be included in a public EU database, and all seed packets and propagating material must be labelled as ‘Ngt 1’, so as to enable farmers to make an informed choice.

In order to steer the use of new genomic techniques towards the development of plants with sustainable characteristics (such as resistance to climate change and pests), the regulation provides for the introduction of a requirement to monitor the impact of NGT plants on sustainability.

Although in organic production (organic associations are among the few opposed to giving the green light to new agricultural technologies) plants obtained using new genomic techniques will not be permitted, the technically unavoidable presence of Category 1 NGT plants will not constitute a breach. The Commission will assess whether the regulation entails administrative, economic or practical burdens for operators in the organic sector, including in relation to their perceptions and those of consumers.

The regulations provide for the possibility of patenting NGTs, with the exception of sequences or fragments found in nature or produced by biological means. MEPs have included safeguards to prevent market concentration and ensure affordable prices and fair access for farmers, so that they retain the right to save and replant their seeds. The compromise on patents aims to safeguard, through a specific code of conduct for the seed industry, both farmers’ access to innovation and investment in research – which would have been penalised by the non-patentability of TEAs, as initially requested by Parliament but rejected by the Member States.

The final approval of the regulation “is a historic victory for farmers and for the future of Europe,” said the rapporteur, Jessica Polfjard, a Swedish member of the EPP . “By approving the use of NGTs, we have chosen innovation, competitiveness and food security.” European farmers have long been calling for access to these modern breeding tools so that they can develop crops that are more resilient and less reliant on plant protection products. By making these safe, science-based genetic selection technologies available, the Parliament is meeting the needs of European farmers, safeguarding our food security and helping to build a more competitive and innovative Europe.”

“This is a decision that looks to the future of agriculture,” remarked CIA President Cristiano Fini —. New genomic techniques are a vital tool for strengthening the ability of agricultural businesses to tackle the challenges of climate change and plant diseases, which are already causing yield variations of between 20% and 49%. Thanks to varietal innovation, it will be possible to develop plants that are more resistant, require less water and are better able to adapt, combining productivity with sustainability.”

According to the CIA, the approval of the regulation also enables Europe to catch up with other major producing countries, where such techniques have been in use for some time, thereby strengthening the competitiveness of the agri-food sector and providing producers with new tools for crop protection.

The European Parliament’s green light represents, for Coldiretti, a landmark moment for the future of Italian and European agriculture, ensuring that farms are not deprived of a crucial opportunity to combat climate change and reduce the use of chemical inputs. “The aim now is to make TEAs available to businesses as quickly as possible so that they can continue to produce high-quality produce, whilst safeguarding the land, farmers’ incomes and competitiveness. The new genomic techniques have nothing to do with the old transgenic GMOs – the organisation pointed out – but allow the mechanisms of natural selection to be replicated in a targeted manner to respond to growing environmental and production challenges, These are not new species, but an evolution of existing varieties, capable of developing greater resistance to water stress and major plant diseases, such as powdery mildew, with benefits also in terms of reducing the use of plant protection products.”

One example is the project involving the first Sangiovese vine cultivated using new genomic techniques, thanks to an innovative research project carried out by Coldiretti Toscana and Vigneto Toscana in collaboration with Crea and the University of Udine, with the involvement of the Consorzio Agrario del Tirreno. The first plant is currently growing in vitro in CREA’s laboratories in Conegliano, Veneto, with the first field trials scheduled for spring 2027.

According to Confagricoltura , the European Parliament’s vote “marks the start of a new phase for European agriculture”, although the opt-out for Member States regarding NGTS 2 risks fragmenting the internal market and limiting uniform access to innovation within the European Union. Finally, according to the president of Copagri, Tommaso Battista, developments regarding patents and intellectual property are of particular importance; on this issue, ‘the text expressly provides for the adoption, within 18 months, of an EU code of conduct on patents, through which it will be ensured that seeds are made accessible to farmers and that the Commission can intervene swiftly in the event of barriers to the use of patents’.

“This is a milestone for plant breeding and for the competitiveness of European agriculture,” concluded Giuseppe Carli, president of Assosementi —. “For seed companies, the availability of clear, scientifically sound rules is essential for continuing to invest in research and innovation. With this decision,” he added, “Europe can once again compete on an equal footing with the world’s other major agricultural regions.”