Trainings for Chinese experts in the EU on the examination of applications for Plant Variety Rights

CPVO and two Chinese PVP authorities, MARA and NFGA, signed administrative arrangements (AA) at the occasion of the 9th National Forum on Agricultural Intellectual Property which took place in Qingdao, China on 15 November 2017.

The AAs focus on exchanges and cooperation in administrative and technical matters in the context of increasing demand for PVP in China. Many of the activities planned, funded by the EU IP Key project and by the Chinese authorities, aim to increase the throughput by enhancing the efficiency and qualifying new DUS centres.

In 2018, IP Key supported two training activities for Chinese examiners. In 2019, three activities are planned. The first one, a technical Seminar on PVP, took place in Beijing in the framework of the 20th anniversary of China becoming a UPOV member.

For this new activity, IP Key China continue its cooperation with CPVO, MARA and NFGA to train a total of 11Chinese experts on the examination of application of Plant Varieties Rights in the EU.

A series of five specialized hands-on trainings of 1 to 2 weeks will take place throughout the summer on the following topics:

• aspects of formal and substantial evaluation of plant variety rights applications, at CPVO and UPOV.
• technical examination for example species based on DUS trialling and observation work on specific crops, addressed to examiners at Chinese local DUS test centres, at the national examination offices in France (GEVES), Germany (BSA) and The Netherlands (Naktuinbouw).
• minimum quality level of technical work across all examination offices/test centres, at CPVO and Naktuinbouw.

The first training brought three Chinese Officers to CPVO and UPOV from 10 to 14 June. And the second training on DUS trialling and observation work for different crops (Lagerstroemia, woody ornamentals Rhododendron L.; Hibiscus L., Malus Mil) at BSA Hannover and Wurzen Test Stations (Germany) was finished on 16 August.

The next trainings will take place as following:

• 23- 27 September: Training on Quality Assurance System in CPVO (France) and Naktuinbouw Examination Office (The Netherlands)
• 16 -27 September on DUS trialling and observation work for Maize in GEVES Magneraud,Surgeres Test Station (France);
• 28 October – 8 November on DUS trialling and observation work for vegetables at Naktuinbouw Examination Office (The Netherlands)