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Plants for the Future European Technology Platform

Plant ETP

Plant ETP develops strategies for research and innovation in an internationally competitive landscape in Europe as a joint basis for the European plant sector between industry, farmers, and academia.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Ana Vasconcelos (Member of the European Parliament)

11 Sept 2025 · Plant breeding techniques

Meeting with Irene Sacristan Sanchez (Head of Unit Health and Food Safety)

31 Jul 2025 · Exchange on plant innovation and on the Commission proposal on plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques (NGTs)

Response to Biotech Act

4 Jun 2025

Biotechnology plays an vital role in shaping the future of our agrifood systems, offering a wide range of transformative solutions to meet evolving societal and environmental needs and challenges. In the next decades, Europes transition to more sustainable, resilient and competitive agrifood systems will be dependent on its ability to increase its food autonomy, while producing sufficient plant biomass to enable the phasing out of fossil fuels. To avoid competition between, food, feed and biomass for the wider bioeconomy, the integration of advanced biotechnological tools into agrifood systems is not only timely but essential. Modern agrifood systems are increasingly reliant on innovations that enhance productivity while minimising costs and environmental impact. Biotechnology enables the development of crops that are more resilient to biotic and abiotic stresses, require fewer inputs, and are tailored for diverse end usesranging from food and feed to industrial applications in the bioeconomy. These innovations are critical to ensuring that agricultural production systems remain viable and competitive in the face of climate volatility and resource constraints. The development of multipurpose crops where different plant components serve distinct roles in food, feed and/or industrial sectors highlights the potential of biotechnology to support a more circular and sustainable bioeconomy. However, breeding such crops is extremely complex, requiring the integration of multiple traits without compromising yield, disease resistance or quality. Biotechnological tools, including New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) and classical Genetic Modification (GM), offer unprecedented precision and efficiency in achieving these breeding goals, making previously unattainable targets feasible. Despite these advances, Europe risks falling behind global competitors due to regulatory and investment gaps. An impact assessment should determine how a forward-looking Biotech Act could: Increase investment in biotechnology R&I, particularly in plant breeding, to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of agrifood systems. Ensure a supportive regulatory framework that reflects scientific progress and facilitates the responsible uptake of biotechnologies. Foster public-private partnerships to accelerate the translation of research from fundamental research to the market, for the benefit of society. Biotechnology is not a silver bullet, but it is a powerful enabler. To meet the EU Green Deal ambitions and ensure strategic food autonomy, Europe must bridge the innovation gap and fully harness the potential of its scientific discoveries. A robust, innovation-friendly ecosystem will empower Europe to lead the global transition towards more sustainable agrifood systems and a more circular bioeconomy, delivering benefits for the environment, the economy and, most importantly, society.
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Response to Towards a Circular, Regenerative and Competitive Bioeconomy

4 Jun 2025

Harnessing plant breeding for a more circular bioeconomy It has been projected that by 2050 we might face a gap of 4070% between supply and demand for biomass for food, feed, and raw materials. As we move away from the use of fossil fuels, the challenge will be to balance the different needs of the bioeconomy through providing sufficient qualitative and/or nutritious food, feed, biobased raw materials and high value compounds. Plant breeding will play an ever increasing role in maintaining this careful balance by 1) optimising plant biomass composition for different purposes, thereby reducing the need for processing and transformation; and 2) the development of multipurpose plants, from which different parts of the same plant can be used for food, feed and/or the wider bioeconomy. Such breeding targets are extremely complex and require much investment in plant research and breeding. Below are some examples of how plant breeding can further support more sustainable and circular bioeconomy. In the attached file, you will find some examples of how plant breeding can further support more sustainable and circular bioeconomy.
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Meeting with Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis (Member of the European Parliament) and Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins

21 May 2025 · Exchange of views

Response to EU Life sciences strategy

11 Apr 2025

Plants for the Future welcomes the initiative to develop A Strategy for European Life Sciences, as they play a crucial role in our society. As a European Technology Platform representing the plant sector and promoting the flow of innovation from basic research to the market, we highlight the crucial role of plant breeding R&I. Plant breeding is the heart of our agrifood systems, evolving from ancient domestication to today's precision breeding. Life sciences have advanced our knowledge and understanding of plant biological processes and how genetics determine characteristics and performance. At the same time technological developments have enabled us to better leverage this knowledge to target variations in plants genomes more precisely and efficiently, resulting in the high performing plant varieties that we all enjoy today. Since the mid-20th century, plant breeding, combined with fertilisers and plant protection solutions, have boosted agricultural productivity in Europe, while reducing the required agricultural land. In the last two decades, plant breeding alone has contributed to ~67% increase in agricultural productivity . Despite this, funding allocation to plant breeding R&I, within the EU Framework Programmes, has been going down since FP7 . Agrifood systems provide biomass for food, feed and the wider bioeconomy. Plant breeding R&I enables the development of varieties that require fewer resources, tolerate biotic and abiotic stresses better, and are optimised for diverse downstream uses. The development of multipurpose plants, from which some parts can be used for food or feed, while the rest can be used in other sectors (eg chemicals, energy, pharmaceuticals), will be essential to phase out fossil fuels, while avoiding competition with food and feed. However, breeding for such plants is extremely complex, requiring the combination of many characteristics, while avoiding trade offs for others. This requires much time and resources, reducing the business case for it. Plant breeding innovation, such as New Genomic Techniques, can play a crucial role by streamlining these previously unfeasible breeding goals. In addition, public-private partnerships are crucial mechanisms for addressing R&I gaps and rapidly transferring innovations into practical applications. Europe has historically been a global leader in life sciences. However, in recent decades, Europe has fallen behind competitors like the United States and China. This lag is primarily due to an innovation gap that limits Europe's ability to translate research into products and services. Therefore a future life sciences strategy should include An increase in EU wide investment in plant breeding R&I to ensure the resilience, competitiveness and sustainability of our current and future agrifood systems and a more circular bioeconomy Better leveraging and enabling the uptake of new technologies, particularly biotechnologies, by streamlining regulations and ensuring a fit for purpose innovation-friendly legislative environment, in line with scientific progress Promoting public-private partnerships to ensure the flow of research outcomes are translated to knowledge, products or services, for the benefit of society While plant breeding R&I alone cannot address all climate change and sustainability challenges, there is a gap between the EU Green Deal's policy goals and public investment in the field. This investment is essential to compensate for yield losses due to reduced inputs and weather volatility, thereby ensuring global food security and Europe's strategic food autonomy.
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Meeting with Koen Dillen (Head of Unit Agriculture and Rural Development)

26 Mar 2025 · Plants ETP's Implementation Strategy for increasing EU plant protein.

Meeting with Juozas Olekas (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur for opinion)

29 Nov 2023 · New plant breeding techniques

Meeting with Michaela Šojdrová (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur for opinion)

8 Nov 2023 · New Genomic Techniques

Response to Legislation for plants produced by certain new genomic techniques

3 Nov 2023

Plants for the Future ETP thanks the EU Commission for its legislative proposal for certain NGTs. Please find attached our contribution to the public consultation.
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Meeting with Joanna Stawowy (Cabinet of Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski)

14 Mar 2023 · How New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) could benefit all production systems, including organics.

Meeting with Jorge Pinto Antunes (Cabinet of Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski)

28 Feb 2023 · How NGTs could benefit the organic sector: “Breeding innovation for organics”.

Meeting with Michaela Šojdrová (Member of the European Parliament)

26 Sept 2022 · Planning of a visit of NGT breeding company/NGT bio lab

Meeting with Michaela Šojdrová (Member of the European Parliament)

18 Aug 2022 · Discussion on EPP report on NGTs

Meeting with Michaela Šojdrová (Member of the European Parliament)

13 Jul 2022 · Conference and Study on New Genomic Techniques

Meeting with Michaela Šojdrová (Member of the European Parliament)

30 Jun 2022 · Planning of conference on New Genomic Techniques

Meeting with Mazaly Aguilar (Member of the European Parliament)

14 Jun 2022 · Presentation Plants for the Future

Meeting with Lukas Visek (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

11 May 2020 · Sustainable food systems