A look back at the ECPGR Steering Committee

Audrey DIDIER, in her capacity as French coordinator, took part in the 18th Steering Committee meeting of the ECPGR (European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources), hosted in Tbilisi by the Scientific Research Centre of Agriculture in Georgia.

The event brought together representatives from 30 member countries, as well as numerous key partners (Crop Trust, EUCARPIA, Euroseeds, Let’s Liberate Diversity!…), illustrating the collaborative dynamic in Europe surrounding plant genetic resources.

The meeting provided an opportunity to conduct a mid-term review of Phase XI (2023–2028), including an assessment of progress made, a SWOT analysis of the programme, and a shared vision to prepare the roadmap for Phase XII (2029–2033).

Among the key decisions adopted were:

• the confirmation of the Genebank Managers Network, which enables managers of genetic resource centres to exchange best practice and establish backup collections at European level,
  the continuation of the Working Group on Cryopreservation following a successful pilot phase,
  the renewal of Bioversity International’s hosting of the secretariat in Rome until 2028.

ECPGR working groups: a cornerstone
With 20 working groups per crop and four thematic areas, the ECPGR draws on a network of over 870 experts across Europe. These groups form the backbone of scientific and technical collaboration to:

preserving crop diversity,
sharing knowledge,
and supporting key initiatives such as AEGIS, EVA and EURISCO.

Being a member of an ECPGR working group means making a tangible contribution to the preservation of crop biodiversity for future generations, whilst collaborating at a European level.

A big thank you to all members for their commitment!