Plant Varieties
Plant breeders, ranging from individuals to multi-national companies, are engaged in producing new varieties with improvements in agronomic, environmental and end-use characteristics. The introduction of new varieties for major agricultural and horticultural crops is regulated through a process known as National Listing (or presence on the EU Common Catalogue of Varieties). For those species within the scope of the legislation, National Listing is a pre-requisite for marketing a plant variety.
A specific form of intellectual property right, known as Plant Breeders' Rights, applies to plant varieties. Breeders can choose whether or not to apply for plant breeders' rights, which enable them to charge royalties for protected varieties. Royalties provide a means for breeding companies to fund their work.
Complete National Lists and current Grants of Plant Breeders' Rights can be found in the latest Special Edition and subsequent editions of the Plant Varieties and Seeds Gazette.
Up to date Agricultural and Vegetable Common Catalogues can be found on the EU Plant Variety Database.
What's new
26 April 2012 - Protocols and Procedures for Tests and Trials: the DUS Protocols for Italian, hybrid and perennial ryegrass have been revised.
25 April 2012 - Plant Varieties and Seeds Gazette: the April edition has been published
23 April 2012 - National Listing and Plant Breeders' Rights Forms: a Technical Questionnaire for Lettuce has been published and the Maize Technical Questionnaire has been amended.
19 April 2012 - Protocols and Procedures for Tests and Trials: the DUS Protocols for Field Pea and Pea, Swede, Brussels Sprouts, Turnip Rape, Parsnip, Turnip, Onion, Cabbage, Carrot, Broad Bean, Celery, Shallot, Watercress, Beetroot, Broccoli, Curly Kale, Leek, Runner Bean have been revised.
18 April 2012 - Protocols and Procedures for Tests and Trials: the VCU Procedures for Sugar Beet have been amended for the 2012 harvest, showing changes in previous cropping, plot size, discard rows, harvesting method, recording root yield, quality assessment and control varieties. The VCU Procedures for Maize have been amended for the 2012 harvest, showing changes in measurement of starch content herbicide usage and control varieties.
27 March 2012 - Plant Varieties and Seeds Gazette: the March edition has been published
20 March 2012 - Protocols and Procedures for Tests and Trials: the VCU Procedures for Herbage have been amended for the 2012 harvest, showing changes in diseases to be notified and changes of controls for ryegrass, timothy and festulolium.
24 February 2012 - Plant Varieties and Seeds Gazette: the February edition has been published
16 February 2012 - Plant Varieties and Seeds Gazette: the Special edition 2012/1 has been published
27 January 2012 - Protocols and Procedures for Tests and Trials: the VCU Procedures for Cereals have been amended to correct the Plant Growth Regulator Protocol and Seed Treatment Products