EU reaches accord on new generation of genetically modified crops

BRUSSELS - European lawmakers and EU member states announced late Wednesday they had reached an agreement on developing plants obtained by so-called new genomic techniques (NGT).

NGT plants are created when a small part of their DNA is added, removed or altered, as opposed to older GMO techniques, which involve introducing genetic material from one different organism into another to make a hybrid.

Leading agriculture unions support the new technique for developing crops that are more resistant to the effects of climatic change or require less fertilizer and pesticide.

"The Council has reached a provisional agreement with the European Parliament on a set of rules that establish a legal framework for new genomic techniques (NGTs)," they said in a statement.

"The regulation aims to improve the competitiveness of the agrifood sector and ensure a level playing field for European operators, while boosting food security and reducing external dependencies," it said.

"The regulation ensures robust protection for human and animal health, as well as the environment, while contributing to EU sustainability goals."

Proponents say some NGTs only speed up genetic modifications that could have come about naturally or through traditional cross-breeding procedures.