New Breeding Methods at a Crossroads
It will soon become clear whether plants developed through modern genomic breeding techniques will be allowed to be cultivated in European fields in the future. Switzerland in particular would be well advised to at least keep an eye on decisions made in Brussels in order not to fall behind.
Friday, February 20, 2026
The Federal Council is expected to soon submit its message to Parliament regarding the special law on “New Breeding Techniques.” It remains to be seen which direction the proposal will take. Two key questions are at the center of the debate: Will the Federal Council align itself with the EU’s approach, which is on the verge of adopting significant deregulation of new breeding techniques? And above all: Will it deviate from its original draft submitted for consultation, which was considerably more restrictive than what is currently being discussed in the EU?
It would be surprising if the message did not follow the EU’s lead. In Brussels, the Council and the Parliament have agreed on a common direction. The Parliament’s Environment Committee has also endorsed this approach. In principle, the EU intends to distinguish between two categories of plants: those considered equivalent to conventionally bred plants (Category 1), and those involving more extensive modifications to the genome (Category 2). The latter will continue to fall under GMO legislation.
As reported by BauernZeitung, the key issue concerning Category 1 plants is which plants will fall under this classification. The EU relies on expert reports and its scientific advisory board. According to these assessments, a plant is deemed “natural enough” to qualify as Category 1 if no more than a specified number of genetic modifications have been made.
There will be no labeling requirement for Category 1 plants and their products — but there will be one for seeds. As BauernZeitung further reports, the organization “Sorten für Morgen” also supports such a labeling requirement in Switzerland. It also welcomes the requirement that breeders must provide information on all related patents when submitting potential Category 1 plants. This information is to be recorded in a public database.
Above all, it is important that the Swiss solution, which will soon be presented in the form of the Federal Council’s message, is internationally compatible. Technical trade barriers would discriminate against domestic producers. In other words, Switzerland should follow the scientific evidence, as Jürg Niklaus, President of “Sorten für Morgen,” stated in an interview with BauernZeitung: “Classical, non-targeted mutagenesis has been legally and safely used in Switzerland for decades. We consume it every day.” The new breeding technologies are no different, he argues. “Many countries therefore believe they should be regulated more like conventional varieties.” One can only hope that this insight will prevail equally in Brussels and Bern.
Sources
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