Introduction: Nowadays, policy makers and legislators are reinforcing the importance of geographical indications (GIs) ‘sustainable practices' 1 , or dedicated tools for evaluation in line with
SDGs values. 2 Fragility of environmental resources, climate change, biodiversity loss, landscape degradation, can, among other causes, impair the future of GIs. New genetic techniques (NGTs)
might be applied also to the GIs sector (e.g. grapevine) to provide a solution to some of these problems.

Methodology: Through a multidisciplinary methodology, the impact of NGTs vis-a-vis GIs is questioned with reference to the ongoing EU NGTs policy and legislative debate.

Context: GMO Directive 2001/18/EC has been originally applied indistinctively in the EU to all NGTs (1 and 2). During the long legislative process, the European Commission published on 5 July
2023 a draft regulation on plants obtained by NGTs 3 , categorizing them into two groups: NGT1 (subject to less stringent requirements), and NGT2 (where GMO legislation applies). The proposal
obtained the approval of the EU Parliament on April 24, 2024.
GIs have in general a natural predisposition for sustainability due to their intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics. 4 Nevertheless, climate change affects territorial and biodiversity modifications that may endanger the context for GIs genetic resources. 5
Recent CRISPR/Cas studies on ‘Chardonnay' 678 ‘Nebbiolo' 9 and Merlot 10 demonstrate an improved resistance/tolerance to major fungal pathogens, without compromising the genetic original
background while decreasing the use of pesticides.
Conclusion: Some recent studies show that NGTs may help to increase resilience and sustainability of grapevine-based GIs but laboratory and field experiments should be monitored and evaluated. A
lack of knowledge about NGTs among consumers and policy-makers alike, their disputable ownership status, and their increased cost of production for farmers as well as breeders are a few of the many issues that require consideration.