The European Commission adopted, on Wednesday 5 July, a proposal for a regulation to modernise the rules on the production and marketing of plant reproductive material (seeds) and another proposal concerning the production and marketing of forest reproductive material.
According to the Commission, the proposal will increase the diversity and quality of seeds, cuttings and other plant reproductive material (PRM). Seeds will also be better adapted to the pressures of climate change and will help to preserve the genetic diversity of crops and ensure food security. The proposal will cut red tape and increase the efficiency of registration and certification systems.
Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the European Commission, said that the proposals aim to give farmers access to “diversified, high-quality seeds that are resistant to climate change”. Sustainability requirements have been laid down for all plant reproductive material, added the vice-president responsible for the European Green Deal. “For varieties developed to be tolerant to herbicides, minimum conditions are laid down for their cultivation, such as crop rotation”, concluded Mr Timmermans.
The proposed updated rules will ensure yield stability by making new plant varieties sustainable through trials to determine whether they have characteristics that can contribute to more sustainable agri-food production.
Seeds will be better adapted to the pressures of climate change; they will be more resistant to harmful organisms, thereby helping to reduce the use of pesticides, and they will be more tolerant to drought. The revision will guarantee food security and help preserve the genetic diversity of crops. The proposal will also reduce the administrative burden.
The European seed sector is the leading exporter on the world seed market (20% of the world market with an estimated value of €7-10 billion and 7,000 companies, mainly SMEs).
The proposal on plant reproductive material retains the basic principles of the current legislation, under which new varieties must be registered and PRMs must be certified before being placed on the market. Registration refers to the entry of a new plant variety in a national catalogue after confirmation of its characteristics (for example, the fact that it is different from other varieties on the market). Registration also includes carrying out trials to check whether the new varieties have characteristics likely to contribute to more sustainable agri-food production. Certification refers to field inspections where the PRM is produced and tests carried out to confirm that the PRM harvested from these fields can be marketed.
Exchanges between farmers. In addition, the proposal will allow farmers to exchange seeds that are not protected varieties with other farmers, by means of derogations. These exchanges should, however, fully comply with the fundamental requirements relating to the quality of PRM (absence of harmful organisms and defects).
Farmers will also be able to exchange small quantities of seed from their own harvest with other farmers. This will make it easier for them to manage seed diversity on their farms.
What’s more, home gardeners will have even more choice, as they will also have access to PRMs that are not certified and are not among the registered varieties.
As far as organic production is concerned, the Commission will ensure that more organic varieties are available. The PRM proposal will introduce adapted registration rules for organic varieties (e.g. trials under organic farming rules).
Plant reproductive material is plant material (such as seeds, cuttings, trees, roots and tubers, etc.) used to produce other plants. PRMs are subject to strict EU rules on quality and health. However, the rules applicable to PRMs, which have existed since 1966, need to be revised to keep pace with developments in science, innovation, technology and digitalisation. A reform of seed legislation, proposed in 2013, failed in 2014 (the proposal was rejected by the European Parliament).
Forests. Forest reproductive material (FRM) refers to seeds, plants and plant parts of forest species that are used to create new forests and plant trees. The proposal maintains the principles of registration of ‘parent trees’ (‘basic material’) and certification. It will help to ensure that the right tree is planted in the right place so that forests are adapted to current and future climatic conditions. This will also contribute to the EU’s goal of planting 3 billion more trees by 2030.
Link to the two proposals: https://aeur.eu/f/7ww (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)