9 Mar

Official recognition for the managers of plant genetic resources collections for agriculture and food

In the aim of supporting and enhancing the work of the managers of plant genetic resources collections for agriculture and food (not including forest trees), the Ministry of Agriculture has asked the members of the CTPS Plant Genetic Resources Section to develop an official recognition file for the managers.

This file makes it possible to evaluate if the collection manager meets the criteria fixed by Article D.660-3 of the French Rural and Maritime Fishing Code as stated below:

 Official recognition as a manager of a plant genetic resources collection shall be granted to natural or legal persons who:

• Define selection criteria for adding or removing material from the plant genetic resources collection.
• Ensure traceability throughout the flow of plant genetic resources, with a track of the resources’ direct suppliers and users who have received resource samples. In particular, traceability documents must be kept for all steps of the process.
• Keep information on the legal status of plant genetic resources, especially with regard to the existence or absence of intellectual property rights, and clauses concerning their distribution and use.
• Define the necessary conservation methods and means for plant genetic resources.
• Respect the network charter guidelines when carrying out activities within the network.
• Undertake to update a database of the plant genetic resources they manage, and identify in particular any heritage plant genetic resources.
• Undertake to send a list of plant genetic resources, upon request, to the Ministry of Agriculture, as part of their national coordination activities. They will publish information on all heritage plant genetic resources that they manage. The nature of this information will be specified by order of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Requests for official recognition may be made by a structure managing plant genetic resources collections or by a structure on behalf of a network of managers. In the latter case, the request for official recognition may concern all or part of the members of this network.

The CTPS Plant Genetic Resources Section will deliver their opinion on the request, assisted by a committee of experts. After approval of the opinion by the Ministry of Agriculture, the name of the manager will be entered in the Register of collection managers of plant genetic resources for agriculture and food recognised by the State, and published in the Official Journal of the French Republic. The managers' contact details will also be made available on the GEVES website.

To maintain the official recognition, the manager undertakes to communicate any changes that may affect the information provided in the application (modification of contacts, loss of part of collection (s), know-how or knowledge about plant genetic resources, critical funding for the maintenance of the collection, etc.). The manager will also provide, at the request of the Ministry of Agriculture, a list of its plant genetic resources and publish all information on the plant genetic resources that it retains.

A complete updated recognition file will be submitted to the CTPS Section in the ninth year following the publication of the recognition in the Official Journal.

The file of recognition as well as the technical regulation in force are available under "Applications".