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Bundestag debate: New coalition disagrees on genetic engineering

05/27/2025 - The new German Black-Red government is also divided on the issue of genetic engineering. During a debate in the Bundestag (Parliament), the SPD argued in favour of compulsory labelling, while the CDU opposed it. The CSU oscillated in between.

The Greens Party, who themselves had just before provided the Federal Minister of Agriculture, have settled back into the opposition role and tabled the issue of compulsory labelling and traceability for new genetic engineering (NGT) on the agenda of one of the first regular sessions of the new Bundestag with a very "slim" motion.

Karl Bär (Greens): Over 17 billion euros sales with "Ohne GenTechnik" products

Karl Bär tabled the motion for the Greens during the Bundestag debate. "What kind of great product can it be that only has a chance on the market if the person who is supposed to buy it doesn't know what they are buying?", he asked those who want to abolish the labelling requirement for NGTs. Bär also explicitly addressed the over 17-billion euro market for "Ohne GenTechnik" (Non-GMO) labelled products, which would be jeopardized without mandatory labelling.

Mackensen-Geis (MP-SPD): Abolishing labelling would be a step backwards

Isabel Mackensen-Geis, representing the SPD coalition partner, took the same line: "If the European Commission is now proposing to dispense with labelling for foods from new genomic techniques, then that is not modern, but a step backwards".

Frauenpreiß (CDU): "Unnecessary warnings", Engelhard (CSU): Freedom of choice, but without a "bureaucratic monster"

Christoph Frauenpreiß gave a long presentation on the opportunities and potential of NGTs on behalf of the Chancellor's party, the CDU, and only marginally addressed the actual topic of the motion, the labelling requirement, with the keywords "unnecessary warnings" and "bureaucracy". His colleague from the CSU parliamentary group, Alexander Engelhard, attempted a split and on the one hand called for "clear regulations that give consumers the choice of what they want to consume", but on the other described the required labelling obligation along the entire value chain, which would make this possible, as a "bureaucratic monster".

Great need for clarification from Black-Red on NGT deregulation

The debate was prompted by the trilogue negotiations between the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the EU Commission on the future (de)regulation of NGTs, which have now begun in Brussels and could advance quickly. There is no clear commitment on this topic in the Black-Red coalition agreement. To date, the „Traffic Light“ coalition government had always voted "abstain" on this issue, which in effect amounted to a "Nay" vote. At the latest, once the trilogue result is finalised, the Black-Red government will also have to position itself on this issue. However, a clear position from Germany would also be helpful for the ongoing trilogue negotiations.

The debate made it very clear that there is still a great need for clarification on this topic within the new coalition. Agriculture Minister Rainer (CSU) and Environment Minister Schneider (SPD) have not yet commented publicly on the issue. However, Alois Rainer had said, at least in general terms, in his government statement that citizens should "decide for themselves what they want to buy and eat".

Word of command from Merz in favour of deregulation?

During the debate in the Bundestag, the Greens also raised the concern that CDU Chancellor Merz could make use of his authority to issue directives on NGTs of all things and use a "word of command" to order German approval of EU deregulation without sufficient regulations to protect the economy and consumers. However, this would be ill-advised and would go against a large part of the food industry.

Bundestag: EU regulation on genetically modified plants (motion, video and minutes of the debate) (German)

Infodienst Gentechnik: New genetic engineering - coalition continues negotiations (German)

top agrar: Labelling of new breeding techniques? The dispute continues (German)

Table Media: Genetic engineering - government parties evade positioning on mandatory food labelling (German)

Euractiv: Gene-edited crops spark debate in Berlin as Brussels advances new rules