Switzerland breaks from EU rules on gene-edited crops in landmark deal
Switzerland has secured a special agreement with the EU over new genomic techniques (NGTs) in agriculture. Unlike traditional GMOs, these methods alter a plant’s genome without adding foreign DNA. The deal ensures Swiss regulations on NGT products remain independent of EU rules.
The EU and Switzerland reached an exception for products created using NGTs. This means Switzerland will not have to align its laws with the bloc’s approach to these crops. The agreement also prevents any obligation for the country to import NGT-derived food from the EU.
Under the deal, Swiss authorities retain full control over how these products are regulated within their borders. The negotiation focused solely on market access, leaving domestic policies untouched. No details were released about the officials or organisations involved in the talks.
The exception confirms Switzerland’s right to set its own standards for NGT-based foods. It also removes any pressure to adopt EU imports of such products. The outcome keeps Swiss lawmaking separate from the EU’s framework in this area.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
