The governance of New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) in the EU from a democratic perspective

Technologies such as gene editing and new genomic techniques (NGTs) now intervene directly in the processes of life, challenging democratic institutions to justify how such power is governed. In the European Union —stakeholder forums and public consultations have incrementally altered NGT governance. The quality and depth of their democratizing effects remain underexplored. This article examines how European institutions, particularly the European Commission, performed and narrated democratic functions to legitimise a landmark legislative flexibilization regulating NGT-derived plants after years of societal and legal contestation. Conceptually, we adopt a problem-based approach to democratic governance, viewing legitimacy as a performative and adaptive practice. Methodologically, we apply thematic analysis to official documents from 2012 to 2023. Our findings show that the Commission increasingly relied on participatory processes to signal democratic responsiveness, especially after the 2018 citizen-led judicial intervention. However, democratic functions evolved unevenly: agenda-setting became more inclusive, deliberation remained constrained, decision-making decentralised without empowering citizens, and accountability lacked enforceable mechanisms. The case underscores the need to assess not only how governance systems evolve under democratic pressure, but also the quality and limits of their legitimacy performances when technologies capable of redefining life itself are at stake.