For Strict GMO Regulations in Europe: TAKE ACTION!
Published: 2026-05-09Tags: ГМО, Петиция, Семената, устойчив живот в природата
Translation
This is a translation of a Bulgarian-language post. It conveys the content faithfully but is not the author's original English writing.
The new GMOs in the EU and our right to know what we eat
Do you have a garden? Do you buy at the market? Do you give fruit to your children? Then this concerns you personally.
Quietly, without noise, without discussion with the citizens — the European Union has opened a door that many of us thought was closed forever. The New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) — the new generation of GMOs — are now given the green light. And here is the most frightening part: it will not say so on the label.
You will buy the tomatoes. You will eat the bread. You will feed your family. And you will not know.
What are the New Genomic Techniques (NGTs)?
NGTs are modern biotechnologies — above all CRISPR technology — with which scientists can "edit" the DNA of plants. They differ from classic GMOs in that the change can resemble a natural mutation, but is deliberately made in a laboratory. With the new EU regulation, adopted in April 2026, these techniques are no longer regulated under the old, strict rules for GMOs.
Two categories — fundamentally different rules
| Category | In brief | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| NGT-1 | Simpler genetic changes | ❌ No risk assessment, no labelling, no traceability |
| NGT-2 | More complex changes | ✅ Stays under the old regime — authorisations, labelling, can be banned by the state |
The problem is that NGT-1 plants will enter our food completely invisibly. The consumer has no way of knowing whether the product has undergone genetic editing.
Bulgaria voted "against" — but it was not enough
Bulgaria, together with Austria, Germany, Belgium, Romania, Hungary and several other states, voted against the deregulation. A decisive role was played by Poland, which changed its position and supported the proposal — giving the necessary qualified majority. Our country tried. But it was not enough.
What is at risk
Organic farming. NGT plants can cross with organic varieties through pollen or wind — without control and without responsibility. Organic producers have no protection against such contamination.
Seeds and farmers. Genome-edited seeds will be able to be patented by corporations. A farmer who has grown a traditional variety for generations may be forced to buy seeds every year — or to pay licensing fees.
Our right to know. Without mandatory labelling of NGT-1 products, consumers lose the right to informed choice — a basic principle in European consumer law.
The Mercosur agreement
In parallel with the NGT regulation, the EU is negotiating a trade agreement with Mercosur, which could bring into Europe GMO soy and pesticides banned in the EU from South America.
What can you do NOW?
Sign the petition. The "Blacked-Out Ingredients" campaign is a European initiative protesting against legislation that would remove the mandatory labelling of foods containing new GMOs or ingredients obtained through gene editing. The final vote is expected to take place in mid-May 2026.
👉 Sign here — blacked-out-ingredients.eu
Share this post — not with the people who already know, but with those who have not yet heard. With the mothers. With the grandmothers. With the farmers. With the teachers. Every voice matters.