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Agritech is the convergence of genetics, robotics and digital technology. The tomato we’re about to discuss could serve as a symbol of this: it has been genetically modified to be more easily pollinated by a robot, which is itself controlled by a network of connected computers, commonly referred to as “artificial intelligence” (“AI”). This “innovation” is, above all, an illustration of the current headlong rush toward technology.

If the European Commission manages to convince the European Council and Parliament to accept its legislative proposal, many GMOs could be deregulated in Europe. Since the 2010s, it has been argued that these GMOs produced using new techniques (GMOs/NGTs) cannot be distinguished from organisms that have arisen naturally or through conventional breeding. Yet, in 2020, France explained in detail how to make this differentiation technically possible. A fact that the French government seems to have forgotten since…

Although it went largely unnoticed by the media, a victory was secured in Mexico on 17 March 2025 by indigenous peoples and certain scientists: a ban on the cultivation of GM maize was enshrined in the national Constitution. More recently, on 21 January 2026, another milestone victory was achieved by those campaigning against the risks posed by GM maize imported from the United States. But what is this maize, and what risks does it pose?

Prior to 2018, some Member States had decided not to submit certain applications for trials authorisation of GMOs obtained through new techniques (GMOs/NGTs) to the GMO legislation. However, in 2018, a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) clarified that these GMOs must indeed be treated as regulated GMOs. According to a 2021 report by the European Commission, these cases of wrongfully deregulated GMOs have been rectified, and the trials in question have been cancelled or brought into compliance with regulations. These cases suggest that regulating such GMOs is indeed feasible.

In the field of life sciences, the scope of a patent depends not only on the invention described, but also on the way it is claimed and the legal framework governing its protection. Drafting strategy, functional claims, homology percentages… these are all tools that can considerably broaden the scope of the initial “invention”. In the context of genetic sequences and digital data associated with living organisms, these mechanisms are now of particular importance.

A patent confers the right to prevent third parties from exploiting an invention. Whilst historically it applied to specific technical objects and/or the processes for obtaining them, its extension to living organisms – and subsequently to genetic information – has transformed its scope. Between the broadening of claims, mechanisms for extending protection and growing legal uncertainties, patents now represent a threat from the biotechnology industry to fundamental economic and societal issues, particularly food sovereignty.

Following the approval by European Union member states, including France, of the draft text on the deregulation of GMOs derived from new genomic techniques (GMOs/NGTs), French MPs tabled a motion for a resolution on 21 January 2026. This motion for a resolution calls on the government to oppose the European text.

A dispute over patent rights to Crispr/Cas9 has been ongoing for several years between its main discoverers, universities and research institutes. To date, the outcome of this dispute and its impact on the Crispr/Cas9 economy remain unpredictable. Added to this is an ongoing dispute over Crispr applications between the parties to the main dispute and companies. Despite this, the widespread use of this tool for modifying living organisms, and the associated health, environmental and socio-economic consequences, seem inevitable.

On 19 December 2025, EU Member States declared themselves in favour of deregulating GMOs derived from new genomic techniques (GMOs/NGTs). After a brief passage through the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, this text must now be formally adopted by the Council of the European Union. If this is the case, it will be up to the European Parliament to vote on the text. 18 French organisations are taking this opportunity to send an open letter to MEPs calling on them to “defend the founding values, principles and treaties of the European Union, as well as the position adopted by the European Parliament in February 2024”. Other European organisations are encouraging European citizens to contact MEPs directly.