Brussels, 08/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - European Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou made her first visit to the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) on Monday 8 September. The CPVO, based in Angers, France, has been operating since 1995. It is one of the EU's decentralised agencies and is responsible for implementing the Community system for the protection of plant variety rights. This is a specific regime which allows intellectual property rights, valid throughout the EU, to be granted for plant varieties. Community Plant Variety Rights are granted for 25 years, or 30 years for vines, potatoes and trees. The time taken to process applications for rights varies between one year for most ornamental species and six years for some kinds of fruit trees. The CPVO has granted over 21,500 plant variety rights. (L.C./transl.rt)