The European Union is yet to adopt a comprehensive legal definition for NGTs [new genomic techniques] . The current understanding is based on a draft proposed by the European Commission in 2023, which has since been the subject of ongoing discussions.
Based on this document, Vittoria Brambilla, associate professor in botany at the University of Milan, defines NGTs as plants which do not contain genes coming from sexually incompatible organisms.
“They [NGTs] rather contain only small insertions or deletions that can modify the function of the endogenous gene itself,” she added.
Just like GMOs, NGTs are often presented as technological tools designed to improve a crop.
However, while GMOs involve inserting genes from one organism into another, regardless of their origin, NGTs do not introduce DNA from sexually incompatible organisms.
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Currently, in the EU, NGTs are regulated under the GMO legislation. This means they undergo extensive checks and testing, making both their production and commercialisation complex.
However, the Commission’s proposal of 2023 paves the way for less strict regulations for NGTs.
