Changes from adopted text to adopted text

RemovedArticle 1 – paragraph 1: This Regulation, in accordance with the precautionary principle lays down specific rules for the deliberate release into the environment for any other purpose than placing on the market of plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques (‘NGT plants’) and for the placing on the market of food and feed containing, consisting of or produced from such plants, and of products, other than food or feed, containing or consisting of such plants, ensuring a high level of protection of human and animal health and the environment.

Added(2) NGTs constitute a diverse group of genomic techniques, and each of them can be used in various ways to achieve different results and products. They can result in organisms with modifications equivalent to what can be obtained by conventional breeding methods or in organisms with more complex modifications. Among NGTs, targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis (including intragenesis) introduce genetic modifications without inserting genetic material from non-crossable species (transgenesis). They rely only on the breeders’ gene pool, i.e. the total genetic information that is available for conventional breeding including from distantly related plant species that can be crossed by advanced breeding techniques. Targeted mutagenesis techniques result in modification(s) of the DNA sequence at precisetargeted locations in the genome of an organism. Cisgenesis techniques result in the insertion, in the genome of an organism, of genetic material already present in the breeders’ gene pool. Intragenesis is a subset of cisgenesis resulting in the insertion in the genome of a rearranged copy of genetic material composed of two or more DNA sequences already present in the breeders’ gene pool. [Am. 2]

RemovedArticle 3 – paragraph 1 – point 2: (2) ‘NGT plant’ means a genetically modified plant obtained by targeted mutagenesis or cisgenesis, or a combination thereof, on the condition that it does not contain any genetic material originating from outside the gene pool for conventional breeding purposes that temporarily may have been inserted during the development of the NGT plant;

Added(3) There is ongoing public and private research using NGTs on a wider variety of crops and traits compared to those obtained through transgenic techniques authorised in the Union or globally(). This includes plants with improved tolerance or resistance to plant diseases and pests, plants with tolerance to herbicides, plants with improved tolerance or resistance to climate change effects and environmental stresses, improved nutrient and water-use efficiency, plants with higher yields and resilience and improved quality characteristics. These types of new plants, coupled with the fairly easy and speedy applicability of those new techniques, could deliver benefits to farmers, consumers and to the environment. Thus, NGTs have the potential to contribute to the innovation and sustainability goals of the European Green Deal () and of the ‘Farm to Fork’ (), Biodiversity () and Adaptation to Climate Change() Strategies, to global food security (), the Bioeconomy Strategy () and to the Union’s strategic autonomy (). [Am. 3]

RemovedArticle 3 – paragraph 1 – point 4: (4) ‘targeted mutagenesis’ means mutagenesis techniques resulting in modification(s) of the DNA sequence at targeted locations in the genome of an organism;

Added(4) The deliberate release into the environment of organisms obtained by NGTs, including products containing or consisting of such organisms, as well as the placing on the market of food and feed produced from these organisms, are subject to Directive 2001/18/EC and, Regulation (EC) No 1830/2003 () of the European Parliament and of the Council and, in the case of food and feed, also to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 (), while the contained use of plant cells is subject to Directive 2009/1/EC, and transboundary movements of NGT plants to third countries are regulated by Regulation (EC) No 1946/2003 (‘the Union GMO legislation’).

RemovedArticle 3 – paragraph 1 – point 6: (6) ‘gene pool for conventional breeding purposes’ means the total genetic information available in one species and other taxonomic species with which it can be cross-bred, using advanced techniques such as embryo rescue, induced polyploidy and bridge crosses;

Added(5) In its judgment in case C-528/16 Confédération paysanne and Others the Court of Justice of the European Union held that GMOs obtained by means of new techniques/methods of mutagenesis that had appeared or had been mostly developed since Directive 2001/18/EC was adopted could not be considered excluded from the scope of that Directive.

RemovedArticle 3 – paragraph 1 – point 15 a (new): (15a) ‘One Health Approach’ means an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals, plants and ecosystems and recognises that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment including ecosystems are closely interlinked and inter-dependent;

Added(6) The Council, in Decision (EU) 2019/1904, requested the Commission to submit, by 30 April 2021, a study in light of that judgment regarding the status of novel genomic techniques under Union law, and a proposal (accompanied by an impact assessment), if appropriate, depending on the conclusions of the study.

RemovedArticle 3 – paragraph 1 – point 15 b (new): (15b) “Chimeric protein” means proteins created through the joining of two or more genes or parts of genes that originally coded for separate proteins.

Added(7) The Commission’s study on new genomic techniques () concluded that the Union GMO legislation is not fit for the purpose of regulating the deliberate release of plants obtained by certain NGTs and the placing on the market of related products including food and feed. In particular, the study concluded that the authorisation procedure and risk assessment requirements for GMOs under the Union GMO legislation are not adapted to the variety of potential organisms and products that can be obtained with some NGTs, namely targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis (including intragenesis), and these requirements can be disproportionate or inadequate. The study showed that this is particularly the case for plants obtained by these techniques, given the amount of scientific evidence that is already available, in particular on their safety. Furthermore, the Union GMO legislation is difficult to implement and enforce for plants obtained by targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis and related products. In certain cases, genetic modifications introduced by these techniques are indistinguishable with analytical methods from natural mutations or from genetic modifications introduced by conventional breeding techniques, whereas the distinction is generally possible for genetic modifications introduced by transgenesis. The Union GMO legislation is also not conducive to developing innovative and beneficial products that could contribute to sustainability, food security and resilience of the agri-food chain.

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point b: (b) is progeny of plant (s) referred to in point (a) on condition that the criteria of equivalence set out in Annex I are still satisfied ; or

Added(8) It is therefore necessary to adopt a specific legal framework for GMOs obtained by targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis and related products when deliberately released into the environment or placed on the market.

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 2: (2) the plant is a category 2 NGT plant, and has been granted consent or has been authorised in accordance with Chapter III.

Added(9) Based on the current scientific and technical knowledge in particular on safety aspects, this Regulation should be limited to GMOs that are plants, i.e. organisms in the taxonomic groups Archaeplastida or Phaeophyceae. Available knowledge on other organisms, such as, excluding microorganisms, fungi and animals for which the available knowledge is more limited, should be reviewed with a view to future legislative initiatives on them. For the same reason, this Regulation should only cover plants obtained by certain NGTs: targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis (including intragenesis) (hereinafter ‘NGT plants’), but not by other new genomic techniques. Such NGT plants do not carry genetic material from non-crossable species. GMOs produced by other new genomic techniques that introduce into an organism genetic material from non-crossable species (transgenesis) should remain subject only to the Union GMO legislation, given that the resulting plants might bear specific risks associated to the transgene. Moreover, there is no indication that current requirements in the Union GMO legislation for GMOs obtained by transgenesis need adaptation at the present time. [Am. 5]

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 a (new): 1a. The implementation, enforcement and application of this Regulation shall not have the object or effect of preventing or impeding imports from third countries of NGT plants and products that meet the same standards as those laid down in this Regulation.

Added(10) With full regard to the precautionary principle, the legal framework for NGT plants should share the objectives of the Union GMO legislation to ensure a high level of protection of human and animal health and of the environment and the good functioning of the internal market for the concerned plants and products, while addressing the specificity of NGT plants. This legal framework should enable the development and placing on the market of plants, food and feed containing, consisting of or produced from NGT plants and other products containing or consisting of NGT plants (‘NGT products’) so as to contribute to the innovation and sustainability objectives of the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork, Biodiversity and Climate Adaptation strategies and to enhance the competitiveness of the Union agri-food sector at Union and world level. [Am. 6]

RemovedArticle 4 a (new): Article 4a / Exclusion from patentability / NGT plants, plant material, parts thereof, genetic information and the process features they contain shall not be patentable.

Added(11) This Regulation constitutes lex specialis with regard to the Union GMO legislation. It introduces specific provisions for NGT plants and NGT products. However, where there are no specific rules in this Regulation, NGT plants and products (including food and feed) obtained from them should remain subject to the requirements of the Union GMO legislation and the rules on GMOs in sectoral legislation, such as Regulation (EU) 2017/625 on official controls or the legislation on certain products like plant and forest reproductive material. [Am. 7]

RemovedArticle 5 – paragraph 2: 2. For the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2018/848, the rules set out in its Article 5 (f), (iii), and Article 11 shall apply to category 1 NGT plants and to products produced from or by such plants. [7 years after the entry into force of this Regulation], the Commission shall present a report on the evolution of the consumers' and producers' perception, accompanied, where appropriate, by a legislative proposal.

Added(12) The potential risks of NGT plants vary, ranging from risk profiles similar to conventionally-bred plants to various types and degrees of hazards and risks that might be similar to those of plants obtained by transgenesis. This Regulation should therefore lay down special rules to adjust the risk assessment and risk management requirements according to the potential risks or lack thereof posed by NGT plants and NGT products.

RemovedArticle 5 – paragraph 3: 3. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 26 amending the criteria of equivalence of NGT plants to conventional plants laid down in Annex I, taking into account potential associated risks and functional consequences in the verification procedure in order to adapt those criteria to the latest scientific and technological developments as regards the types and extent of modifications which can occur naturally or through conventional breeding.

Added(13) This Regulation should distinguish between two categories of NGT plants.

RemovedArticle 5 – paragraph 3 a (new): 3a. The adventitious or technically unavoidable presence of category 1 NGT plants, reproductive material or parts thereof in organic production, or in non-organic products authorised in organic production in accordance with Articles 24 and 25 of Regulation (EU) 2018/848, shall not constitute non-compliance with that Regulation.

Added(13a) NGT plants with the potential to persist, reproduce or spread in the environment, within or beyond fields, should be evaluated with the highest level of scrutiny in respect of such plants’ impact on nature and the environment. [Am. 8]

RemovedArticle 6 – paragraph 1: 1. To obtain the declaration of category 1 NGT plant status referred to in Article 4(1), point (a), before undertaking a deliberate release of a NGT plant for any other purpose than placing on the market, the person intending to undertake the deliberate release shall submit a request to verify whether the criteria set out in Annex I at least one of the traits referred to in Annex III, Part 1, and the exclusion criteria in Annex III, Part 2, are met (‘verification request’). That verification request shall be submitted to the competent authority designated in accordance with Article 4(4) of Directive 2001/18/EC of the Member State within whose territory the release is to take place in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3 and the delegated act adopted in accordance with Article 6(11a), point (b).

Added(14) NGT plants that could also occur naturally or be produced by conventional breeding techniques and their progeny obtained by conventional breeding techniques (‘category 1 NGT plants’) should be treated as plants that have occurred naturally or have been produced by conventional breeding techniques, given that they are equivalent and that their risks are comparable, thereby derogating in full from the Union GMO legislation and GMO related requirements in sectoral legislation. In order to ensure legal certainty, this Regulation should set out the criteria to ascertain if a NGT plant is equivalent to naturally occurring or conventionally bred plants and lay down a procedure for competent authorities to verify and take a decision on the fulfilment of those criteria, prior to the release or placing on the market of NGT plants or NGT products. Those criteria should be objective and based on science. They should cover the type and extent of genetic modifications that can be observed in nature or in organisms obtained with conventional breeding techniques and should include thresholds for both size and number of genetic modifications to the genome of NGT plants. Since scientific and technical knowledge evolves rapidly in this area, the Commission should be empowered in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to update these criteria in light of scientific and technical progress as regards the type and extent of genetic modifications that can occur in nature or through conventional breeding. [Am. 9]

RemovedArticle 6 – paragraph 3 – point c: (c) a description of the trait or traits and characteristics which have been introduced or modified, including information on the technique or techniques used to obtain the trait or the traits and including disclosure of the sequence of genetic modification;

Added(14a) Taking into account the high complexity of plant genomes, the criteria for considering that a NGT plant is equivalent to a naturally occurring or conventionally bred plant should reflect the diversity of plants genomic size and their characteristics. Polyploid plants contain more than two homologous chromosomes. Within that category of polyploid plants, tetraploid, hexaploid, and octoploid have 4, 6 and 8 sets of chromosomes respectively. Polyploid plants tend to exhibit greater numbers of genetic modifications compared to monoploid plants. For those reasons, any limit to the total number of individual modifications per plant should reflect the number of chromosomes set in a plant (“ploidy”). [Am. 10]

RemovedArticle 6 – paragraph 3 – point c a (new): (ca) any patent or pending application for a patent that covers the whole or part of Cat.1 NGT plant;

Added(15) All NGT plants that are not category 1 (‘category 2 NGT plants’) should remain subject to the requirements of the Union GMO legislation because they feature more complex sets of modifications to the genome.

RemovedArticle 6 – paragraph 3 – point d – point i: (i) the plant is a NGT plant, including that it does not contain any genetic material originating from outside the gene pool for conventional breeding purposes where such genetic material has been temporarily inserted during the development of the plant, in accordance with the information requirements specified in the delegated act adopted in accordance with Article 6(11a), point (a);

Added(16) Category 1 NGT plants and products should not be subject to the rules and requirements of the Union GMO legislation and to provisions in other Union legislation that apply to GMOs. For legal certainty for operators and transparency, a declaration of the category 1 NGT plant status should be obtained prior to deliberate release, including the placing on the market.

RemovedArticle 6 – paragraph 3 – point d – point ii: (ii) the NGT plant meets the criteria set out in Annex I, at least one of the traits in Annex III, Part 1, and the exclusion criteria of Annex III, Part 2;

Added(17) This declaration should be obtained prior to any deliberate release of any category 1 NGT plants for any other purpose than placing on the market, such as for field trials that are to take place in the territory of the Union, since the criteria are based on data that is available before the field trials and does not depend on these field trials. When no field trials are to take place in the territory of the Union, operators should obtain that declaration before placing the category 1 NGT product on the market.

RemovedArticle 6 – paragraph 3 – point d a (new): (da) the denomination of the variety

Added(18) Since the criteria for considering that a NGT plant is equivalent to naturally occurring or conventionally bred plants are unrelated to the type of activity that requires the deliberate release of the NGT plant, a declaration of the category 1 NGT plant status made prior to its deliberate release for any other purpose than placing on the market in the territory of the Union should also be valid for the placing on the market of related NGT products. In view of the high uncertainty existing at the field trial stage about the product reaching the market and the likely involvement of smaller operators in such releases, the verification procedure of category 1 NGT plant status prior to field trials should be conducted by national competent authorities as this would be less administratively burdensome for operators, and a decision should be taken at Union level only in case there are comments to the verification report by other national competent authorities. Where the verification request is submitted prior to the placing on the market of NGT products, and if there are reasoned objections by other Member States, the procedure should be conducted at Union levelin consultation with the Commission and the European Food Safety Authority (‘the Authority’) in order to ensure effectiveness of the verification procedure and consistency of the category 1 NGT plant status declarations. [Am. 11]

RemovedArticle 6 – paragraph 6: 6. If the verification request is not deemed inadmissible in accordance with paragraph 5, the competent authority shall verify whether the NGT plant fulfils the criteria set out in Annex I and prepare a verification report within 30 working days from the date of receipt of a verification request. The competent authority may, where appropriate, consult with the European Food Safety Authority ('EFSA') while preparing the verification report. The competent authority shall make available the verification report to the other Member States and to the Commission without undue delay.

Added(18a) In order to effectively select new varieties that help the agricultural sector increase food security, as well as sustainability, adaptation and resilience in relation to the consequences of climate change, it is necessary to consider the specificity of polyploid plants, which are plants that contain more than two genomes. For such plants, the maximum number of genetic modifications allowed for inclusion in category 1 NGT should be proportionate to the number of genomes they contain. [Am. 12]

RemovedArticle 6 – paragraph 7: 7. The other Member States and the Commission may make reasoned objections to the verification report, as regards the fulfilment of the criteria set out in Annex I, within 20 days from the date of receipt of that report. Such reasoned objections shall solely refer to the criteria as set out in Annex I and Annex III and shall include a scientific justification.

Added(19) The competent authorities of the Member States, the Commission and the European Food Safety Authority (‘the Authority’) should be subject to strictappropriate deadlines to ensure that category 1 NGT plant status declarations are made within a reasonable time. [Am. 13]

RemovedArticle 6 – paragraph 8: 8. In the absence of any reasoned scientific objections from a Member State or the Commission, within the deadline referred to in paragraph 7, the national competent authority that prepared the verification report shall adopt a decision declaring whether the NGT plant is a category 1 NGT plant. The national competent authority shall transmit the decision within 10 working days to the requester, the other Member States and the Commission.

Added(20) The verification of category 1 NGT plant status is of technical nature and does not involve any risk assessment or risk management considerations and the decision on the status is only declaratory. Therefore, when the procedure is conducted at Union level, such implementing decisions should be adopted by the advisory procedure, supported by scientific and technical assistance by the Authority.

RemovedArticle 6 – paragraph 9: 9. In cases where a reasoned objection is made by another Member State or by the Commission by the deadline referred to in paragraph 7, the competent authority that prepared the verification report shall make the reasoned objections publicly available without undue delay.

Added(21) Decisions declaring the category 1 NGT plant status should assign an identification number to the NGT plant concerned in order to ensure transparency and traceability of such plants when they are listed in the database and for the purpose of labelling of plant reproductive material derived from them. The information listed should include information on the technique or techniques used to obtain the trait or traits. [Am. 14]

RemovedArticle 6 – paragraph 10: 10. The Commission, after having consulted the Authority, shall prepare a draft decision declaring whether the NGT plant is a category 1 NGT plant within 45 working days from the date of receipt of the reasoned objections, taking the latter into account. The decision shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 28(2).

Added(22) Category 1 NGT plants should remain subject to any regulatory framework that applies to conventionally bred plants. As is the case for conventional plants and products, those NGT plants and their products will be subject to the applicable sectoral legislation on seed and other plant reproductive material, food, feed and other products, and horizontal frameworks, such as the nature conservation legislation and environmental liability. In this regard, category 1 NGT food featuring a significantly changed composition or structure that affects the nutritional value, metabolism or level of undesirable substances of the food will be considered as novel food and thus fall into the scope of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 of the European Parliament and of the Council () and will be risk assessed in that context.

RemovedArticle 7 – paragraph 2 – point b a (new): (ba) the denomination of the variety;

Added(23) Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and the Council on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007() prohibits the use of GMOs and products from and by GMOs in organic production. It defines GMOs for the purposes of that Regulation by reference to Directive 2001/18/EC, excluding from the prohibition GMOs which have been obtained through the techniques of genetic modification listed in Annex 1.B of Directive 2001/18/EC. As a result, category 2 NGT plants will be banned in organic production. However, it is necessary to clarify the status of category 1 NGT plants for the purposes of organic production. Currently, the compatibility of the use of new genomic techniques is currently incompatible with the conceptprinciples of organic production in the Regulation (EC) 2018/848 and with consumers’ perception of organic productsrequires further consideration. The use of category 1 NGT plants should therefore be also prohibited in organic production, until such further consideration takes place. [Am. 15]

RemovedArticle 7 – paragraph 2 – point c: (c) a description of the trait(s) and characteristics which have been introduced or modified including information on the technique or techniques used to obtain the trait or the traits and on disclosure of the sequence of genetic modification;

Added(24) Provision should be made to ensure transparency as regards the use of category 1 NGT plant varieties, to ensure that production chains that wish to remain free from NGTs can do so and thereby safeguard consumer trust. NGT plants that have obtained a category 1 NGT plant status declaration should be listed in a publicly available database including information on the technique or techniques used to obtain the trait or traits. To ensure traceability, transparency and choice for operators, during research and plant breeding, when selling seed to farmers or making plant reproductive material available to third parties in any other way, plant reproductive material of category 1 NGT plants should be labelled as category 1 NGT. [Am. 16]

RemovedArticle 7 – paragraph 2 – point d a (new): (da) a monitoring plan for environmental effects;

Added(25) Category 2 NGT plants should remain subject to the requirements of the Union GMO legislation given that on the basis of current scientific and technical knowledge, their risks need to be assessed. Special rules should be provided in order to adapt the procedures and certain other rules laid down in Directive 2001/18/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 to the specific nature of category 2 NGT plants and the differing levels of risk that they may pose.

RemovedArticle 7 – paragraph 7: 7. The Commission shall publish the final decision in the Official Journal of the European Union and shall publish, in a dedicated and publicly available webpage, its draft decision and the reasoned objections referred to in Article 6.

Added(26) Category 2 NGT plants and products, in order to be released into the environment or placed on the market, should remain subject to a consent or authorisation in accordance with Directive 2001/18/EC or Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003. However, given the wide variety of those NGT plants, the amount of information necessary for the risk assessment will vary on a case-by-case basis. The Authority, in its scientific opinions on plants developed through cisgenesis and intragenesis and on plants developed through targeted mutagenesis recommended flexibility in data requirements for the risk assessment of these plants. Based on the Authority’s ‘Criteria for risk assessment of plants produced by targeted mutagenesis, cisgenesis and intragenesis’ (), considerations on the history of safe use, familiarity for the environment and the function and structure of the modified/inserted sequence(s) should assist in determining the type and amount of data required to perform the risk assessment of those NGT plants. It is therefore necessary to establish general principles and criteria for the risk assessment of these plants, while providing for flexibility and possibility to adapt risk assessment methodologies to scientific and technical progress.

RemovedArticle 9 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point b: (b) the designation and specification of the category 1 NGT plant;

Added(27) Requirements on the content of notifications for consent for the placing on the market of products containing or consisting of GMOs other than food or feed and on the content of applications for authorisation for the placing on the market of genetically modified food and feed are laid down in different pieces of legislation. To ensure consistency between the notifications for consent and applications for authorisation for category 2 NGT products, the content of such notifications and applications should be the same, except those concerning the assessment of food and feed safety assessment as these are only relevant to category 2 NGT food and feed.

RemovedArticle 9 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2 – point b a (new): (ba) the denomination of the variety;

Added(28) The European Union Reference Laboratory for GM Food and Feed (EURL), in collaboration with the European Network of GM Laboratories (ENGL), concluded that analytical testing is not considered feasible for all products obtained by targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis (). When the introduced modifications of the genetic material are not specific to the NGT plant in question, they do not allow the differentiation of the NGT plant from conventional plants. In cases where it is not feasible to provide an analytical method that detects, identifies and quantifies, if duly justified by the notifier or the applicant, the modalities to comply with analytical method requirements should be adapted. This should be done in the implementing acts adopted pursuant to this Regulation. Provision should also be made for the EURL, assisted by the ENGL, to adopt guidance for applicants on the minimum performance requirements for analytical methods. Modalities for performing method validation may also be adapted.