| The regulation currently being negotiated in the trilogue process concerning plants produced using new genomic techniques (NGTs) and the food and feed derived from them could enter into force in the first half of 2026 and would then have to be applied from the first half of 2028. This will have implications for agriculture, the economy, consumers, and public administration in Austria. The regulation provides for two categories of NGT plants (NGT‑1 and NGT‑2). In the future, NGT-1-based plants are to be considered equivalent to those produced through conventional plant breeding. The scientific and technical analysis of the questions arising from this for Austria serves as a basis for potential courses of action.
The study examines NGT-1-based applications in selected crop species that are important for Austria, in connection with current challenges affecting these crops in the Austrian agricultural and food sectors. The potential relevance of NGT-1-based breeding is analyzed in relation to these challenges and based on the current state of knowledge regarding available NGT‑1 plants. This results in concrete indications of possible benefits and applications of NGT‑1. Opportunities and challenges are identified from the perspective of agricultural holdings as well as of selected upstream and downstream sectors, such as seed production, feed production, and food processing. In addition to possible solution approaches, the practical application of NGT‑1 also presents challenges for organic and GMO-free production and food manufacturing. These include questions of coexistence, necessary measures, and traceability from the perspective of agricultural holdings, as well as options for marketing products without NGT‑1. These aspects are discussed using practice-oriented examples.
Particular attention is given to the need for transparency in organic food production and GMO-free systems. Once the final version of the regulation is available, the study will also analyze the resulting opportunities and challenges for control systems.
The outcome is a comprehensive, practice-oriented assessment of the impacts of applying or not applying NGT‑1 plants in Austria, along with the identification of options for actions. |