The German "Act on the Regulation of Genetic Engineering" (Gesetz zur Regelung der Gentechnik, Gentechnikgesetz, GenTG) was enacted in 1990 to legally regulate the use of genetic engineering and its risk prevention. Since then, it has been amended several times by further legal regulations, also in order to implement the European Union directives and regulations that are binding for member states.

The purpose of this Act is to

1. "taking into account ethical values, to protect human life and health, the environment in its interrelationship, animals, plants and material goods from harmful effects of genetic engineering processes and products and to take precautions against the occurrence of such hazards,
2. to ensure that products, in particular food and feed, can be produced and marketed conventionally, organically or using genetically modified organisms,
3. to provide the legal framework for the research, development, use and promotion of the scientific, technical and economic possibilities of genetic engineering." (GenTG § 1)