Brussels, 04/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - European farmers backed by COPA-COGECA say the European Commission's idea to exempt micro-enterprises and niche seeds from risk-registration procedures risks setting up a parallel seed market of uncertain quality. At the European Parliament's agriculture committee, where talks have just begun on the proposals, some MEPs say the exemptions do not go far enough.
On 30 September, the Parliament's agriculture committee discussed the draft regulation to reform EU seed rule as part of a health package unveiled by the European Commission on 6 May.
Parallel market. The Parliament rapporteur on the draft regulation, Sergio Silvestris (EPP, Italy), welcomed the European Commission's plans to make it easier for old varieties of seed to be sold, but his view is not shared by professionals in the European Seed Association (ESA), who say that the exemptions go too far and run the risk of setting up a parallel seed market, exempt from certification and therefore of an uncertain quality. Garlich von Essen, ESA secretary general, said that current legislation had enabled the EU seed industry to become a world leader and already provides exemptions that might perhaps need improving, but there should not be any automatic exemptions. COPA-COGECA (farm cooperative organisations) tends to agree with the seed producers.
Health and safety. Pekka Pesonen, COPA-COGECA secretary general, said that biodiversity must not be used as a pretext for easing EU seed quality standards, particularly because the agri-food industry has very strict standards. Another argument put forward by von Essen is that registration procedures make all seeds pass through the same checks so farmers can compare the products they are buying, and registration is most important for the small and medium-sized companies because it puts them on an equal footing with multinationals.
ESA and COPA-COGECA are unhappy with the exemption from health tests (for the presence of parasites in seeds) that micro-enterprises and niche varieties could benefit from. “When it comes to seeds, a legal framework that supports identity, performance, quality and health is essential for breeders and farmers alike,” explained von Essen.
At the other end of the scale, many people are complaining about red tape that is a burden for small companies. MEP Martin Haussling (Greens/EFA, Germany) said that small players are not given enough protection and the trend towards concentration of the market in the hands of a few multinationals will continue. Multinationals already account for around 30% of the market in Europe. In some countries, like France, the monitoring of seeds put on the market is done by seconded agents from bodies covering all seed companies, a form of self-monitoring that also applies to multinationals.
Nigel Day, president of EMSA (mobile seed producers), said the health and safety argument was feeble because it was unthinkable that a small business in a niche market would deliberately put itself at risk by not ensuring that it sold top quality products. Moreover, he explained, recent research into wheat, done by IRA in France, notes not so much the importance of certification as of a farmer's role in managing the performance of varieties, be they commercial seeds, historic varieties or hybrids.
The draft regulation to change the seed industry aims to reduce red tape for the registration of varieties and tests will soon be able to be done by companies themselves and registration requests lodged directly with the European plant variety office rather than having to be registered in each member state separately. Traditional old varieties and heterogeneous material (hybrid varieties, for example) will not have to be tested and will have reduced registration costs. Micro-enterprises of fewer than ten members of staff or annual turnover of below €2 million will be able to sell any type of seed and “niche material” (sold in small quantities with special labelling) without having to register the varieties. (LC/transl.fl/fl)