This was a long-awaited decision, and one eagerly anticipated by farmers and cooperatives across Europe. Today, Member States, gathered in COREPER, agreed on a negotiation mandate for the future regulation of NGTs in the EU. Copa and Cogeca welcome this move, which could revitalise European seed production and offer new opportunities to farmers and cooperatives by providing access to crop varieties that are more resistant to droughts and diseases, while improving yields and reducing input use.
However, it is now crucial that sustainability assessment also remains within the Plant Reproductive Material (PRM) legislation, ensuring new plant varieties provide actual benefits. Concluding the first reading on PRM before the end of the Polish Presidency will enable parallel trilogues for both pieces of legislation, as they are closely interlinked.
Copa and Cogeca also take note of the Council’s mandate concerning the publication of a Commission study on the patenting of plants. The NGT plants proposal would accelerate ongoing patent applications, and many new patents for plants would be granted, potentially restricting access to genetic materials and exerting control over plants and plant-based products from breeding to end consumers. Nonetheless, Copa and Cogeca oppose the use of patents in plant varieties as European farmers want full breeder exemptions and farmers’ privileges.
The Council and Parliament must now come together to negotiate a final agreement. We hope for swift progress in this process, as expectations on the ground remain high.
Fonte: Copa Cogeca
