After the summer break, everyone is getting back to work and for producers of Non-GMO and organic food, there is plenty to prepare for.

As readers of this newsletter you will be well aware that the EU has a new regulation on New Genomic Techniques and that the law will apply from July 2028. That leaves the food sector less than two years to prepare for a fundamentally different regulatory environment. 

Whilst the law making process has finished its course, the practical questions around identification, traceability, supply-chain controls and the continued ability to produce Non-GMO food are very much alive. In this edition, we look at how the Non-GMO sector and its organic friends should prepare.

They will be doing so against a market backdrop that remains broadly healthy and well supplied. But that does not mean conditions are straightforward. Volatile and uncertain weather has once again made European harvests challenging, underlining the need for resilient Non-GMO supply chains. Our latest market report, produced with ProTerra and Donau Soja, takes a closer look at the situation for the main Non-GMO crops in Europe. 

And if anyone thought adoption of the NGT Regulation meant the political and legal debate was finished, last week brought a reminder that EU law-making often does not end with publication in the Official Journal.

Slovakia has announced that it will challenge the new NGT Regulation before the Court of Justice of the European Union. Our member, ARGE Gentechnik-frei has welcomed the move and is calling on Austria to support the challenge, arguing that the unresolved questions around consumer choice, transparency, traceability and liability now deserve judicial scrutiny.

So, welcome back. The legislation may have been adopted, but for the Non-GMO sector, the next phase is only beginning. As a first step in preparing, businesses  wanting to understand better the legislation should take a look at the new section on our website outlining what the new law will mean in practical terms and its associated timeline.

ENGA will be working with the European Non-GMO and organic sectors to prepare supply chains, standards and certification systems for the application of the new rules in July 2028. 

So keep in touch and follow us on LinkedIn in order to be up to date!