ISAAA, March 29, 2023

On March 23, 2023, the UK's Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill received Royal Assent and became an Act of Parliament and law. The Act is a major step in unlocking growth and innovation in new technologies, reinforcing food security in the face of climate change, and ensuring that England becomes a world leader in agri-food innovation.

The Precision Breeding Act covers precision-bred plants and animals developed through techniques such as gene editing, which is different from genetic modification. Under the Act, a new science-based and streamlined regulatory system will be introduced to facilitate greater research and innovation in precision breeding while maintaining stricter regulations for genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The government will take a step-by-step approach and enable precision breeding technologies for plants first, followed by animals later.

The Act has the powers to:

• - Remove plants and animals produced through precision breeding technologies from regulatory requirements applicable in England to the environmental release and marketing of GMOs.
• - Introduce two notification systems; one for precision-bred organisms used for research purposes and the other for marketing purposes. The information collected will be published on a public register on GOV.UK.
• - Establish a proportionate regulatory system for precision-bred animals to ensure animal welfare is safeguarded. Changes to the regulations for animals will not be introduced until this system is in place.
• - Establish a new science-based authorization process for food and feed products derived from using precision-bred plants and animals.

For more details about the Precision Breeding Act, read the press release in GOV.UK.