Niveau juridique : Union européenne
Final minutes - CDG COP & Seeds, 7 March 2017
Seul l’après-midi était consacré aux problématiques semences (à partir de la page 3 du document)
Extraits :
« 1. Commission presented the current situation for the seeds market
COPA stated that there are more varieties grown in Europe than those presented by the Commission. This is due to the lack of legal obligations for supplying this information, this also has repercussions for the validity and accuracy of statistics. There are organic seed databases, but often not up to date and for the needs of the markets. COPA made a call for a legal framework for the collection of this data and its publication.
COPA called on the need for a balance sheet for seeds, looking into the organic and conventional seeds.
Mr. Laborde added that statistics are available for the maize.
The Chair suggested to establish a working group as was formed for the purpose of working on the Protein Balance Sheet for the seeds and varieties.
On illegally imported seeds, COPA added that these seeds are coming into Europe, the origin is often unknown along with its SPS and quality specifications. Therefore, there should be stricter control on seeds.
The Chair added that the issue is also valid for the GM traits, which can be seen sometimes in Ukraine, once planted it will be difficult to eradicate from the ground due to traces
COPA suggested to start working on certified seeds, moving later to the farm -save-seeds for the purpose of having a balance sheet
ECVC said that the choice of a seed is a choice of the farmer and that collecting information at the farmer level is not acceptable.
The Commission clarified that should there be an exercise on seeds, DG SANTE should be consulted and be involved in the discussions. Moreover, Member States need to be convinced first to be able to put a legal framework on the table.
(…)
4. Update on NBT
The Commission provided an update on new breeding techniques. The Scientific Advice Mechanism, an independent body providing the Commission with independent scientific advice to support its decision making and working closely with National Academies, has been consulted on this issue. Scoping paper has been submitted to the SAM and an explanatory note describing new techniques and comparing them with established techniques is expected by the end of March. The Scoping Paper is available on the SAM website. Future trends in this area are excluded from the scope of the document, but could be considered at a later stage. The Commission is also organizing a conference on Innovation and modern biotechnologies in Agriculture on 28 September in Brussels and this issue will be discussed as well. Stakeholders will be involved. Finally the Commission informed that the French Conseil d’État asked the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)to provide a preliminary ruling on the new techniques (mutagenesis); the opinion of the CJEU is expected to clarify the legal status of organisms produced with these technique. »
Lien vers le document du SAM ici
Lien vers le compte rendu ici