The New Democracy (ND) delegation in the European Parliament has issued a sharp rebuttal to PASOK MEP Nikos Farantouris, accusing him of “alarmism and unrestrained populism” over the EU’s recent agreement on New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) in agricultural production.
EU Parliament Backs NGT Framework
In its statement, ND highlights that the European Parliament approved the Council and Commission’s agreement on NGTs by a wide margin — 431 votes in favour, 201 against. While the Parliament has traditionally opposed genetically modified organisms (GMOs), it endorsed NGTs because they do not involve transferring genes between species. Instead, they enable precise, science-led evolution of existing plant varieties — with the aim of reducing pesticide and fertilizer use, as well as water consumption.
Climate-Resilient Solutions for Farmers and Consumers
ND stresses that NGTs represent practical tools to help farmers adapt to climate change and support consumers through more sustainable food systems. The delegation notes these techniques are already widely applied in the United States and parts of Asia. Support for the framework also came from Copa-Cogeca — the EU’s largest farming federation, representing 22 million farmers and 22,000 cooperatives — as well as a significant portion of the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) group in the European Parliament.
Transparency, Access, and Safety
The approved regulatory framework includes safeguards to prevent patent monopolies, ensuring broad access for farmers and cooperatives. On labelling, two categories apply: for NGT products considered an evolution of the same plant species, labelling will appear on seed packaging and on a public EU platform. ND MEPs support mandatory labelling across all channels to ensure full consumer transparency — which is why they did not vote against the relevant amendment. For more complex genomic interventions, full labelling is required everywhere, as stipulated in the new regulation.
Assessments of each technique’s scope and safety are conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which applies the world’s strictest scientific standards before granting approval. ND underscores that this rigorous oversight underpins the Parliament’s decision — and that consumer protection issues are too serious to be exploited for political sensationalism or populist rhetoric.