From the article:

The rules governing new gene editing techniques for plants – called "new genomic techniques" (NGTs) – are being changed at EU level. Gene-edited plants will be divided into two categories, depending on the type and number of edits involved. Those with few genetic changes that could have occurred through conventional breeding techniques will be considered conventional plants, while the rest will have to follow the same strict rules as GMOs.

The new law was adopted by the European Parliament on 17 June 2026 and will apply from mid-2028.

[...]

New developments in biotechnology have led to a variety of new gene editing techniques, encompassed in the term "new genomic techniques" (NGTs).

The big difference between GMOs and NGTs is that GMOs are mostly made by inserting a gene from a different species into a plant, while NGTs allow targeted changes to a plant’s own DNA.

[...]

The new EU rules mark a shift towards regulating based on what the final plant looks like genetically, not how it was made.

NGT-altered plants are split between two categories, with different legal obligations attached.

• NGT-1 — This category is for plants with edits that could have occurred through conventional breeding. These will be treated like conventional plants, exhibiting a limited number and type of changes. Plants engineered for herbicide-tolerance or to produce insecticidal substances cannot be treated as NGT-1 plants.

• NGT-2 — This category is for plants that have undergone more extensive or complex genetic modifications. These are covered by the existing strict GMO rules and will be subject to risk assessment, authorisation, labelling, traceability, and member-state opt-outs for cultivation.

Neither NGT-1 nor NGT-2 plants will be allowed in organic production.