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Agriculture Ministers' Conference: Several German states want to abolish GMO labelling

04/01/2025 - A number of German Länder are explicitly calling for the labelling requirement for new genetic engineering in food to be abolished. This is a slap in the face for consumers and the food industry.

The topic of new genetic engineering (NGT) was also on the agenda at the German Länder Agriculture Ministers' Conference (AMC) from 26-28 March 2025 in Baden-Baden. The state agriculture ministers were only unanimous in their rejection of patents on genetically modified plants. Various groups of German states issued different "protocol declarations" on other aspects. The states of Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, Brandenburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Northrhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia explicitly call on the upcoming federal government to oppose the comprehensive labelling requirement for new genetic engineering demanded by the EU Parliament.

Unity on the patenting ban

Alexander Hissting, Managing Director of the Association for Food without Genetic Engineering (VLOG) comments: "The German states are obviously not in agreement on the subject of 'new genetic engineering' (NGT), as the three different protocol declarations demonstrate. There is only agreement on the demand for a ban on the patenting of genetically modified plants, which is to be welcomed."

Group of German Länder is more radical than EU Commission and Council of Ministers

"However, it is alarming that the German states of Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, Brandenburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Northrhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia are explicitly opposing mandatory labelling for genetically modified plants. This is in contradiction to the EU Parliament, and even more radical than the EU Commission and Council of Ministers as they want to allow it in organic farming - against the express will of the sector. -. These German states are thus opposing transparency and freedom of choice, against the interests of 94 percent of consumers and against the food industry, especially against ‘Ohne Gentechnik’ (Non-GMO) and organic farming."

Incomprehensible positioning

"The support for this position from Baden-Württemberg, Northrhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, where the Greens Party is part of the federal government, is particularly incomprehensible. In Baden-Württemberg, freedom from genetic engineering is even expressly enshrined in the current coalition agreement. Other German states are still declared ‘GMO-free regions’. In Saarland, the current head of government, Anke Rehlinger, signed the corresponding declaration herself in 2013 in her role as Minister of the Environment and Consumer Protection at the time."

Great need for explanation and correction

"This is a slap in the face for consumers and a large part of the food industry, which has invested in transparent, GMO-free production in these states for many years. The governments of Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, Brandenburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia must now urgently declare their support for this position and correct it in the interests of consumers and the food industry. A complete labelling obligation for new genetic engineering is an absolute minimum requirement for new genetic engineering regulations for the EU."

According to the "Nature Awareness Study" conducted by the German Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), 94 percent of adults in Germany also want mandatory labelling of food produced using new genetic engineering methods.

In recent years, numerous businesses from all sectors of the food industry - from industry giants to small businesses - have repeatedly called for clear regulations for transparency, freedom of choice and coexistence in matters of genetic engineering in open letters and statements. In particular, the businesses are demanding a comprehensive labelling obligation across the entire value chain right through to the end product - exactly the opposite of this has now been adopted by the aforementioned Länder as a protocol declaration.

At the EU level, the trilogue negotiations between the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the EU Commission on the future regulations for new genetic engineering will start shortly. The European Parliament is calling for a comprehensive NGT labelling obligation.

AMC resolution and protocol declarations on NGTs (German)

BÖLW statement on the AMC: Organic farming without genetic engineering also in the future! (German)

Mandate for new government coalition: 94 percent want labelling of new genetic engineering

Özdemir supports demands for freedom of choice and coexistence

European enterprises call for rigorous labelling of NGTs

EU vote: Businesses call for preservation of GMO labelling

Major retailers in favour of clear GMO regulations and stable food prices

Lebensmittelpraxis: German states want to abolish genetic engineering labelling (German)