A Study Visit on Plant Variety Protection Legislative Matters co-organised by IP Key China

IP Key China, in cooperation with the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO), the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA), and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NGFA), co-organised a study visit in various places in Europe focused on Plant Variety Protection (PVP) legislative matters.

The visit featured workshops and sessions in the following key locations: Brussels (DG SANTE & DG TRADE), Angers (CPVO), and Geneva (UPOV). Chinese delegates, comprised experts from various Chinese governmental bodies, enhanced their understanding of EU seed laws and shared information on PVP legislation in China, and DUS (Distinctness, Uniformity, and Stability) testing.

The activity supports the implementation of a new Administrative Agreement, signed on 26 May 2021, between the CPVO and two of China's Plant Variety Protection (PVP) bodies: the Development Centre of Science and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture (DCST, MOA) and the PVP Office of State Forestry Administration (SFA), previously known as the PVP Office of NFGA. The new agreement reinforces the ongoing cooperation in administrative, technical, operational, and training activities of mutual interest. This Study visit represented a continuation of collaborative efforts between the involved parties, aiming to promote mutual understanding in the field of plant variety legislative protection.