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Europe's future after embracing New Genomic Techniques

STOA workshop

Cultivating colonies of microorganisms in petri dish

On 30 June 2026, the Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) organised a panel discussion about the strategic potential of New Genomic Techniques and their transformative impact across healthcare, agriculture, and the bioeconomy within the EU's new regulatory framework.

New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) - as advanced biotechnological tools enabling precise modifications to the DNA of living organisms - hold transformative potential across a wide range of sectors. With their capacity to fuel innovation in industrial biotechnology, environmental conservation, and fundamental biological research, they position as a cornerstone of the emerging bioeconomy.

The European Union stands at a crucial juncture with the adoption of its Regulation on New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) and the recent Biotech Act (2025), seeking to contribute to a regulatory framework that ensures Europe maintains a leading position in biotechnological research and innovation and boosts the competitiveness of the sector, while prioritising environmental sustainability, societal well-being, and economic resilience.

The panels discussion brought together MEPs, European institutions, industry, and investment voices as well as academia and Member States representatives.

Watch the event

Video recording

Resources

Programme

15:00 - 15:05 Welcome and introductory remarks

  • Ana Vasconcelos, MEP and member of the Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA)

15:05 - 15:20 Panel I - Gene editing and the future of EU Biotechnology

  • Moderated by (TBC)
  • Caterina Giovagnoni, Biotech Task Force, DG SANTE, European Commission
  • Claire Skentelbery, Director General, EuropaBio
  • Divya Vijay Pratheek, Vice President, Product and Marketing, Ribbon BIO
  • Laurenz Govaerts, Director, EQT Life Sciences

15:50 - 16:00 Q&A session

16:00 - 16:45 Panel II - Opportunities and challenges for the Single Market: Implementing the EU new NGTs framework

  • Moderated by Jeannette Baljeu, MEP
  • Irene Sacristán Sánchez, Head of Unit for Biotechnology, DG SANTE, European Commission
  • Justus Wesseler, Professor of Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy, Wageningen University (TBC)

16:45 - 16:55 Q&A session

16:55 - 17:00 Policy Takeaways and Closing Remarks

  • MEP Ana Vasconcelos