2024 meeting of European Ornamental DUS Experts

On 1 and 2 October 2024, the CPVO organised the annual meeting of ornamental plant experts.

The Belgian, German, Hungarian, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Romanian and French examination offices, as well as representatives from Plantum and CIOPORA, took part in this meeting, during which various general subjects were discussed, such as the procedure for conserving samples after DUS examination (whatever the outcome), the possibility of postponing the delivery of plant material required for DUS examination, and the rules to be applied for updating a simplified standard protocol into a national protocol. Various technical protocols were also discussed (Leucospermum, Oncidium, Aloe…). The Weigela protocol, which was not discussed at this meeting, will be validated by email to the experts.

All these technical protocols will then be proposed to the next CPVO Administrative Committee. The CPVO also gave participants feedback on the survey carried out on the decrease in the number of applications for protection for ornamental species.

Finally, GEVES presented the results of the project ‘Harnessing molecular data to support DUS testing in ornamentals: a case-study on Hydrangea’.