Comments on: Commission embraces agricultural biodiversity?

By: Berry Go Rounder, 6th edition « Seeds Aside

Berry Go Rounder, 6th edition « Seeds Aside — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:42:05 +0000

[...] Jeremy at Agricultural Biodiversity is digging questions around the soil richness and woofs or goofs around possible carbon sequestration. Take some time to dig through yourself and vote for science, for there’s still plenty to do. See, European commission is digging in another but necessary direction… [...]

By: European Commission directive on landraces at Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog

European Commission directive on landraces at Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:49:37 +0000

[...] here’s the text of the Directive announced in an earlier post. As it starts being interpreted and implemented (or not) in different ways in different member [...]

By: Bert Visser

Bert Visser — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:01:14 +0000

The news on the adoption by the European Commision is indeed important news, but not all is rosy.
The negotiations took so long because of the fears of the private sector that this regulation would open a backdoor for varieties not meeting the formal marketing requirements in the EU. The result that is published now is a watered-down legislation. Conservation varietiesa re defined as landraces and varieties whcih are naturally adapted to the local and and regional conditions and threatened by genetic erosion. Landraces are defined as a set of populations or clones of a plant species whcih are naturally adapted to the environmental conditions of their region. These are key provisions from the draft Direction:
- Member States may adopt their own provisions as regards distinctness, stability and uniformity of conservation varieties.
- The Member State shall identify the region or regions in which the variety has historically been grown and to which it is naturally adapted.
- Member States shall ensure that seed of a conservation variety may only be produced in the region of origin.
- Member States shall ensure that the seed of a conservation variety may only be marketed if marketing takes place inits region of origin.
- Member States shall ensure that for each conservation variety the quantity of seed marketed does not exceed 0.5% of the seed of the same species used in that Member State in one growing season, or a quantity necessary to sow 100 ha, whichever is the greater quantity.
- The total quantity of seed of conservation varieties marketed in each Member State shall not exceed 10% of the seed of the species concerned uesd yearly in that Member State.
Severe limitations for the distribution of conservation varieties are the consequence of this Directive. Much depends on the definition of region, which I do not know. Less than hoped for, but it is better than nothing.

By: Eliseu Bettencourt

Eliseu Bettencourt — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:09:19 +0000

Good news!! Almost a year ago (July 2007) I posted on this matter. It took too long, since 1998 !!, the first Council Directive and drafts prepared in 2002 and 2003, but finally is out