Overview
- Environment Minister Carsten Schneider said Wednesday that Germany will not agree to EU changes that remove mandatory labeling for foods made with new genomic techniques.
- EU negotiators reached a provisional deal in early December to ease rules on NGT crops, including fewer environmental assessments and no compulsory supermarket labels.
- The agreement still needs formal approval by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament, with a Council decision expected this week.
- The Greens in the Bundestag requested an urgent debate, with parliamentary manager Irene Mihalic urging the government to side with consumers seeking transparency.
- Industry groups welcomed easier market access, the farmers' association warned about patent-driven monopolization of plant traits, and environmental and consumer groups opposed the loss of mandatory labeling.