CTPS ‘Vegetable Species’ Section – 25 March 2022
At its meeting on 25 March 2022, the CTPS ‘Vegetable Species’ Section validated the proposal for national listing on list a of 2 varieties (cauliflower and shallot) and, subject to confirmation of the characteristics to be observed in bolting during the spring of 2021, will propose the listing on list a of 7 other varieties (cauliflower and leek) this summer. The March meeting of the Vegetable Section is also an opportunity to take stock of the official variety controls, and to discuss current regulatory developments and the progress of actions specific to vegetable crops under the SPAD2 Plan.
As regards DUS studies, the March meeting of the Section examined the applications finalised since the December Section meeting (cauliflower, shallot, lettuce and leek). At this meeting, the list of varieties facing cancellation on 31/12/2022 (following the withdrawal of the last official maintainer) was distributed. This list, distributed with the support of Semae, has enabled many varieties to continue to be maintained over the last 3 years (the period during which this communication to the sector was implemented). The previous December meeting of the Section validated the registration of 190 varieties which are now registered.
With regard to the ministerial plan SPAD (Seeds & Plants for Sustainable Agriculture), the Section reviewed the actions undertaken and implemented specifically for vegetable varieties. These actions, which are varied with regard to the diversity of species and users, concern both the concerted GEVES-Semae actions for maintaining old varieties in the Official Catalogue, accompanied access to varieties on lists c and d, and the dissemination of official description data to players in the sector, the continued development or updating of genetic resistance test protocols (about thirty since 2019), particularly through public-private projects (Harmores3, HarmoresColl, ToBRAg) or the support of organic breeders for the registration of their varieties.
On this point, the Section was informed of the start on 01/07/2022 of the Temporary Experimentation at EU level concerning the registration and marketing of organic varieties which are bred in this way. The CTPS will be examining more than a dozen variety applications for registration in this framework. The technical studies conducted in the field from the second half of 2022 will aim to assess the uniformity of these varieties in relation to that of the population varieties already registered. In this context, if the candidate varieties turn out to be less uniform than the population varieties already recognised and marketed, the varieties applying for listing could be registered but could not be the subject of an intellectual property title (Plant Variety Right).
Finally, the SOC presented the main lines of the control plan in 2022 for seeds distributed under the standard regime (about a hundred batches of varieties of contemporary or ancient breeding) but also its missions to accompany the sector in the implementation of the Plant Health Regulation.
