Workshop for plant variety protection authorities in Latin America

IPKey LA organised an online workshop aimed at identifying the measures adopted by countries that have chosen to delegate another entity to carry out DUS tests.

This event was possible thanks to the collaboration of the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO), the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) and the Spanish Office of Plant Varieties (OEVV).

This workshop included presentations delivered by representatives from the CPVO, UPOV and OEVV, as well as from participating countries, who also exchanged best practices and identified specific needs.

Cooperation in the examination of PVR applications is an important tool for the effectiveness and harmonisation of processes and procedures. That is why UPOV members collaborate with each other and many become internationally recognised centres of excellence. There is no ranking among UPOV members. All countries can contribute with their experience and excellence. The common denominator of all the models for conducting DUS tests is confidence in the system. Through clear and transparent rules, it is possible to achieve users’ trust.

Thanks to cooperation with another EU-funded project, CARIFORUM Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation (CarIPI), it was also possible to secure the participation of the Dominican Republic, which was very active and showed great interest in progressing to achieve clear rules for users in DUS testing.