Briefing – Analysis of amendments for the European Parliament’s vote on NGTs

A series of amendments have been tabled for the vote in the Environment Committee, scheduled for early June, ahead of the plenary vote on the proposal on plants obtained by New genomic techniques (NGTs), which should take place on the 17 of June 2026. Many of these amendments concern patents, which are one of the major concerns of farmers and small seed companies in this file. Patents are also a concern for many MEPs, who voted in the 2024 first reading vote in favour of clarifying the implementation of EU patent law.

As an organisation representing small farmers, the European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC) analysed these amendments and details below which should be supported in priority to protect farmers and small seed producers as effectively as possible from the risks of abusive extension of the scope of NGT patents. These priority amendments will therefore also have to be tabled for the plenary vote scheduled for mid-June.

We also explain why some amendments are legally ineffective, and therefore we do not advise to support them at this stage of the negotiations. Finally, we consider that some of these amendments will not translate into binding obligations, and therefore will have no real effect.