The adoption by the European Union, on June 17, 2026, of a regulatory framework authorizing New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), and in particular CRISPR/Cas9-based approaches, marks a decisive turning point in the history of plant breeding. After nearly a decade of scientific debates, legal battles, and political negotiations, European legislators finally recognized that certain categories of genomic editing are fundamentally different from conventional transgenesis and deserve a distinct, more flexible regulatory treatment. This historic decision opens a new era not only for European agriculture but also, and perhaps above all, for countries that are closely associated with or aspire to integrate the European agricultural and scientific space, foremost among them Ukraine. As one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of cereals, and as a nation engaged in an existential war that has deeply disrupted its agricultural sector, Ukraine stands at a crossroads where scientific innovation, food sovereignty, and geopolitical strategy converge. This article examines the nature and mechanisms of New Genomic Techniques, their technical advantages over conventional GMOs, their specific applications in cereal breeding, and the strategic imperative for Ukraine to adopt and develop these technologies as a matter of national priority.
Keywords: New Genomic Techniques, CRISPR/Cas9, genomic editing, cereal breeding, Ukraine, food security, climate change, geopolitical resilience
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