On 16 June 2026, the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) Group tabled six amendments to the European Parliament's second-reading recommendation on plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques (NGTs), proposing to reintroduce mandatory labelling, traceability, and transparency requirements for NGT1-derived food and feed products. The amendments, authored by MEP Marc Jongen, would transform the unconditional exemption from GMO rules for NGT1 plants into a conditional one, subject to new consumer information and supply chain obligations.
The amendments target the Council's position, which had largely exempted NGT1 plants from GMO labelling and traceability rules. The ESN proposals would require that food containing, consisting of, or produced from NGT1 plants bear the indication "produced from NGT1 plants" alongside an identification number, placed directly next to the ingredient in the ingredients list. Identical labelling obligations would apply to feed. Operators at every stage of the supply chain would be required to share the NGT1 status and identification numbers to ensure traceability.
The amendments maintain the core exemption from GMO risk assessment and authorisation procedures for NGT1 plants, but subject it to compliance with the new labelling, traceability, and information requirements set out in Article 10. This creates a hybrid regime: exempt from full GMO regulation but not from consumer-facing transparency. The ESN Group, a right-wing sovereignist group, is the sole author of the six amendments; no other political group has tabled similar proposals at this stage.
The amendments are part of the second-reading procedure on the file (2023/0226(COD)), following the Council's adoption of its position in 2025. The European Parliament is scheduled to vote on the recommendation in plenary, after which the file may proceed to trilogue negotiations if the Parliament and Council disagree. The ESN amendments, if adopted, would significantly increase compliance costs for food and feed operators using NGT1 plants, as they would need to implement separate labelling and traceability systems. Consumer groups would likely welcome the enhanced transparency, while biotechnology firms and seed producers would face additional administrative burdens. The European Commission, which originally proposed a more permissive regime for NGT1 plants, would see its approach partially reversed.