European Union: Corrected - European Commission Adopts New Regulation for Plants Obtained by Certain New Genomic Techniques

(To be replaced is "European Commission Adopts New Regulation for Plants Obtained by Certain New Genomic Techniques" of July 24, 2023. Changes are on the date of the new proposal, July not June). On July 5, 2023, the European Commission (EC) adopted a new proposal to regulate plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques (NGTs) and their use for food and feed. The proposal comes at the end of a long process started on July 25, 2018 with the ruling of the European Court of Justice determining that organisms created through NGTs needed to be regulated as “GMOs” and covered by the EU’s current “GMO Directive” of 2001. After a study from the EC concluded that the GMO Directive is not “fit for purpose” for these newer products, a legislative initiative was started on September 24, 2021. The NGT or genome editing proposal was finally presented as part of the adopted package of measures for sustainable use of key natural resources, and it will now be evaluated by the European Parliament and Council of the EU.