The Council of the European Union (EU) announced on March 17, 2026, that it approved conclusions on the EU’s new bioeconomy strategy. As reported in our December 4, 2025, blog item, the European Commission (EC) announced on November 26, 2025, that it adopted a new Strategic Framework for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy, “charting a way forward to build a clean, competitive and resilient European economy.” In its conclusions, the Council welcomes the strategy proposed by the EC...
March 30, 2026
GAO Report on Engineered Biofertilizers States Current Regulations May Not Be Equipped for Genetically Engineered Microbes
On March 16, 2026, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report on engineered biofertilizers, which use genetic engineering and combine multiple strains of microbes to enhance their effectiveness. According to GAO, the opportunities of engineered biofertilizers include: Economic benefits: According to GAO, fertilizer costs have increased due to tight global supplies, energy shocks, and trade disruptions. GAO notes that increased crop yields and reduced fertilizer costs...
March 20, 2026
America’s Living Library Act Would Collect Genomic Information from Animals, Plants, Fungi, and Microbes on Public Lands
On March 5, 2025, Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Stephanie Bice (R-OK) and Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Alex Padilla (D-CA), all commissioners on the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB), introduced the America’s Living Library Act of 2026 (H.R. 7832, S. 4023). The bill would direct the Secretary of the Interior to begin a project to collect, catalog, and sequence genomic information of animals, plants, fungi, and microbes on U.S. public lands. According to an...
March 5, 2026
USITC Will Investigate State Support and Pricing Practices by Chinese Biotechnology Firms
The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) announced on February 26, 2026, that it is undertaking a factfinding investigation to examine Chinese state support and pricing practices in the biotechnology sector and assess how these practices may be affecting the market share and competitiveness of the U.S. industry. USITC states that it is instituting this investigation, “Impact on U.S. Industry of China’s State Support and Pricing Practices in the Biotechnology Sector” (Inv. No....
On January 29, 2026, Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced the Biosecurity Modernization and Innovation Act of 2026 (S. 3741) to establish a federal biosecurity framework. According to Cotton’s February 4, 2026, press release, the bill “will require gene synthesis providers screen their orders and customers for bad actors or dangerous pathogens, and will ensure that the U.S. government adopts a flexible and agile approach to biosecurity that will ensure American leadership in biosecurity.”...
On March 10, 2026, EuropaBio, the European Association for Bioindustries, will hold a webinar on “Navigating Biotech SME Funding: What’s available, How it works, What’s next for Europe.” According to EuropaBio, Europe’s biotech sector “continues to face significant financing challenges, especially during growth and scale‑up.” As the European Union (EU) moves forward with the landmark Biotech Act, the webinar will explore the funding tools available today, how companies can access...
March 1, 2026
APHIS Seeks Comments on Petitions to Deregulate Certain Products Developed Using Genetic Engineering
In February 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published several petitions seeking a determination of nonregulated status for products developed using genetic engineering. Each petition states that the information provided indicates that the product is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk and therefore should not be regulated. In each case, APHIS prepared a draft plant pest risk assessment (PPRA) to assess the plant pest risk of...
February 19, 2026
Treasury Department and IRS Issue Proposed Rule Regarding Section 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit, Will Hold Public Hearing on May 28, 2026
The Department of the Treasury (Treasury Department) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a proposed rule on February 4, 2026, regarding the clean fuel production credit enacted by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and amended by the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). 91 Fed. Reg. 5160. The proposed regulations would provide rules for determining clean fuel production credits, including credit eligibility rules, emissions rates, and certification and registration requirements. In...
On February 4, 2026, the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) announced the release of a fact sheet on biotechnology solutions for critical minerals. NSCEB notes that the United States is overly reliant on China for critical minerals. According to NSCEB, biotechnology “creates new paths to reduce our reliance on China by unlocking new sources of critical minerals right here in the United States.” NSCEB states that the recently-announced Project Vault and other...
February 4, 2026
OECD Paper Compares Regulatory Environments for Biotechnology and Biosolutions between the EU and United States
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) posted a working paper on January 30, 2026, entitled A comparison of the innovation and regulatory environments for biotechnology and biosolutions across the European Union and the United States. According to the authors, the working paper “strengthens the evidence base for biotechnology policymaking by examining two critical dimensions: innovation-enabling conditions and regulatory practices.” Focusing on the European Union...