Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of their commitment to introduce secondary legislation to implement the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 for a new trade deal with the European Union.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The European Commission has proposed to adopt a new, less restrictive, regulation for the marketing of plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques (NGTs) and their use for food and feed. An approach similar to that used in the Precision Breeding Act.

The proposal is still under consideration in the European Council and its contents are subject to change.

We will continue to monitor progress in the EU to understand implications for trade, including in the context of the Government's commitment to seek to negotiate a veterinary / Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement with the EU.