Community plant variety rights: extension of the term for the species asparagus and the species groups flower bulbs, woody small fruits and woody ornamentals

Driscoll’s is a global leader in breeding, producing, and marketing proprietary strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry varieties of exceptional quality and taste. We grow and market in several countries around the world, bringing joy to our consumers and employment opportunities in multiple regions for growers, nurseries, and business operations.

Hortibreed NV is based in Belgium (Lochristi). For more than 25 years, Hortibreed has been a prominent and passionate breeder of indoor azalea, outdoor japonica and rhododendron. Our r&d experience enables us to market plants that are fully commercial in terms of their appearance, extra long flowering, user friendliness and durability. Breeding azaleas and rhododendrons is a time and resource-consuming process.

Citrogold (Pty) Ltd is a horticultural intellectual property management company in South Africa, with sister companies in Spain, the UK, the USA, and Chile. We also have own breeding programs specialising in citrus and selective tropical fruits. Breeding citrus is a time and resource-consuming process. On average, it may take up to 15 years for a new variety to access the market.

This note is on behalf of CIVI Italia, the interprofessional organization recognized as managing body of the national voluntary qualification system for plant propagation material – QVI (Qualità Vivaistica Italia) by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture.

Anthura specializes in Anthurium and Orchids by developing innovative and sustainable varieties for the use of pot plant or cut flowers. Anthura supports the Proposal of the European Parliament on the extension of the term of Community Plant Variety Rights of the mentioned crops.

Dear Commission, Our response to the extension of the plant variety right from 25 to 30 years. We have been active in the breeding of Gladiols for years. In order to develop good new gladioli varieties, i.e. from crossing to commercial cultivation, a minimum period of 15 years has been set aside, whether that new variety could really be an improvement.

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Plantum is the Dutch association for companies active in breeding, cultivation and trade of plant propagation material in all crop sectors; agriculture, vegetables, ornamentals and fruits. Among our members are breeders of flower bulb species, asparagus, woody small fruits and woody ornamentals as well as young plant raisers of asparagus, woody small fruits and woody ornamentals.

Dear Madam/Sir Ruiter innovations B.V. is an SME company whose principal place of business is the Netherlands. The operator’s activities focus on the processing of various types of roses. Tuinrozen is 1 of this. Breeding (garden) roses is a lengthy process. For garden roses, the average duration for developing a new variety is 8-10 years. This entails a lot of costs. Ruiter Innovations B.V.

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Schreurs is a world renowned breeder of roses for cut flower use. For many years we have been developing new rose varieties. Breeding roses is a time and resource-consuming process. It is difficult to improve varieties, also because it takes a lot of time to cross-breed resistances via traditional breeding methods.

Dear European Commission, We would like to draw your attention to our input into the proposal to extend the plant variety right to 30 years for, inter alia, flower bulbs. MAK Breeding B.V. is a company which works in lelies and is established in the Kop van Noord-Holland. In this case, we also speak on behalf of many other flower bulb breeders who are active here. Like these companies, Mak Breeding B.V.

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BerryWorld Plus and its affiliates are dedicated to soft fruit varietal development and innovation and has, and continues to, significantly invest in breeding new varieties. Breeding soft fruit varieties (including blueberries, raspberries and blackberries) is a time and resource-consuming process.

SNFL Group is one of the world’s leading table grape R&D companies. For over 20 years we have been breeding and developing new table grape varieties and licensing their production around the world. Breeding Vitis vinifera (table grapes) is a time and resource-consuming process. On average, it may take up to 5 years for a new variety to access the market.

Rijk Zwaan appreciates the opportunity to provide feedback and we would like to use this opportunity to express our support for the proposed regulation. Rijk Zwaan is a family-owned vegetable breeding company with its headquarters in the Netherlands. We have around 3500 employees working at 30 subsidiaries in European countries and on other continents.

As Royalty Administration International C.V. we are not into breeding ourselves, but are the Procedural Representative for many breeding companies. We also represent a number of breeding companies that are breeding flower bulbs, woody small fruits and woody ornamentals. Over the years we have filed hundreds of applications at the CPVO for species belonging to these groups.

CIOPORA is the international association of breeders of asexually reproduced horticultural varieties. Since 60 years we have represented said breeders in questions of Intellectual Property Protection for their varieties worldwide. CIOPORA is observer in UPOV and in the Administrative Council of the CPVO. We are included in the Transparency Register of the EU. Plant breeding is a time and resource-consuming process.

Limgroup is a breeding company active in the crops asparagus and strawberry. We invest in breeding and research to develop new varieties, and produce seeds for the international market. Due to its dioecious and multi-annual character, breeding asparagus is complicated and it takes a long time to create a new variety compared to other vegetables.

Future Fynbos is a company based in South Africa breeding cutflowers and potplants in the indigenous Proteaceae family, a woody ornamental. New varieties developed through the breeding programme are protected through plant breeders rights and released in South Africa and internationally under licence agreements. Commercialising of Proteaceae is a relatively new field.

BASF vegetable seeds is an international company active in breeding vegetable varieties and selling vegetable varieties globally. BASF strongly supports the proposal for a regulation from the Commission on the prolongation of the term of community plant variety right protection for certain species, including asparagus. BASF has many years of experience in breeding of asparagus.

My company is a SME, devoted to breeding and selection of new varieties of Hydrangea sp. Breeding hydrangeas is a time and resource-consuming process. On average, it may take up to 10 years for a new variety to access the market. Extending the duration of Plant Variety Protection to 30 years would ensure a fair return on our investments.

Dear Sir, Madam, We are an international flower breeding company and license our own plant varieties to EU countoris. Breeding Mandevilla and Poinsettia are a time and resource-consuming process. On average, it may take up to fifteen years for a new variety to access the market. Extending the duration of Plant Variety Protection to 30 years would ensure a fair return on our investments.

CLM Enterprises is a small plant breeders rights and patent prosecution company with agricultural clients around the world. We have over 30 years of experience in assisting breeders in obtaining plant breeders’ rights. For small fruits alone, we successfully launched over 200 fully patent-protected unique varieties into the global market.

Bailey Nurseries, a fifth-generation owned wholesale nursery based in the USA, is also the owner of a collection of international brands containing exceptional woody landscape ornamental plants such as Hydrangea. Our breeding efforts support the brands by bringing new, innovative genetics to markets around the world including the European Union.

Elsoms Seeds are a leading UK family company involved with plant breeding, seed treatment and seed sales. Our territory is mainly in the UK, and we are seen as leaders in our field. We understand the long time and the efforts ( financial and staff resources) involved in breeding new varieties of any crops, and we realise the need for proper pre-commercial/pre-introduction testing of new varieties: if new varieties…

The Royal General Bulbgrowers Association (KAVB) is the professional organisation for the bulb industry. Our membership covers breeders, growers and traders in bulbs. As such we are very much aware of the importance of a good working system of plant breeders rights. These rights are not only important for the breeders but also for the growers and trading companies.

As a research institution also active in the breeding of woody ornamental plants, we fully support the European Parliament and Council’s proposal to extend the duration of the plant variety right for, inter alia, woody ornamental plants. The processing of such crops requires considerable effort and a long period of time.

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Bejo is a leading company in breeding, production, and sales of vegetable seeds. With operations in more than 30 countries, we are an internationally oriented family business dedicated to developing the best vegetable varieties for the present and the future.

Dear Sir/Madam, the breeding of Calluna vulgaris, and in particular the Erica carnea, is a time-consuming process. Both are diaphragm and woody. On average, it can take up to 9 years for a new variety to enter the market. Extending the duration of the plant variety right to 30 years would ensure a fair return on our investments.

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The Bundesverband Deutscher Pflanzenenzüchter eV (BDP) has been the professional association of German plant breeding companies for over 75 years. It brings together the interests of its 130 members, which are agricultural and horticultural breeding and trading companies.

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Euroseeds is the voice of the European seed sector representing the interests of those active in research, breeding, production and marketing of seeds of agricultural and horticultural plant species. Euroseeds welcomes the proposal for a regulation from the Commission on the prolongation of the term of community plant variety right protection for certain species, including asparagus.

25-03-2021 Dear European Commission, My name is Andries Dobbe and I represent the company of I.A.J. Dobbe B.V. We are a selection company which produces basic material for other hyacuri growers. We found a mutant in an existing hyacintenent variety and obtained it. As we had only one sphere, we looked for a tissue culture laboratory in order to have more material available as soon as possible.

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The following request is made in support of an extension of the plant variety right for flower bulbs to at least 50 years. For the boll sector, it is already 10 in 12! I am Joris van der Velden van Holland Bolroy Markt. Holland Bolroy Markt veredelt has been tulpen for some 35 years. And we do so with great success. We have also been working for a sustainable cultivation of this crop for some 25 years.

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Onderstaand verzoek ter ondersteuning van een uitbreidingsduur van het kwekersrecht op bloembollen. Nieuwe Hippeastrumrassen veel duurzamer De CO2 uitstoot moet in 2030 met 55% omlaag zijn gebracht, zegt de Europese Commissie. Ook de sierteelt zal daarbij zijn bijdrage moeten leveren. Met gewassen die minder energiebehoefte hebben en minder gewasbescherming vergen.

We would like to support this proposal.Breeding of bulb crops means developing varieties with higher disease resistance, with less or no use of chemical plant protection products, which have reduced energy needs, etc. I am called Arie Vletter and is a works director of our family business Gebr. Vletter & Den Haan. We are developing new varieties that are more resilient to diseases, pests, etc.

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David Austin Roses is a world renowned breeder of roses for both the garden and for cut flower use. We have been developing new varieties for over 60 years and our roses are loved around the world by gardeners of all experience levels. Breeding roses is a time and resource-consuming process. On average, it may take up to 9 years for a new variety to access the market.

Hello, I believe it would a benificiary addition to the exisiting rules, as our breeding in Garden and Cut varieties , which are Roses (a woody Plant) takes about 8-10 years until it is ready to be introduced. This is quite long time for an ornamental plant, therefore the introduction into the market is only starting after this time, and a new improved variety needs time to establish itself into the markets.

Plant & Food Research is a New Zealand government-owned, science company delivering products, IP and technology designed to grow competitive advantage for clients in the horticulture, wine, cropping, seafood and associated high value food sectors worldwide. We have extensive experience in breeding new fruit, vegetable and arable varieties.

Fall Creek Farm and Nursery, Inc. has been breeding proprietary blueberry varieties for almost 20 years. We have introduced nearly 30 novel blueberry varieties to the global market since the inception of our breeding program. Breeding blueberry varieties is a time and resource-consuming process. On average, it may take up to 10-12 years for a new variety to access the market.

To whom it may concern: I fully support the Proposal for a regulation - COM(2021)36 extending PR to extend the term of CPVR protection for the species asparagus and the species groups flower bulbs, woody small fruits, and woody ornamentals from 25 years to 30 years.

We welcome this proposal from Hobaho Test Centre for SierCrops by Hobaho Orange! Our years of breeding in various bulb crops, such as tulp, hyacint, Gladiool, Lelie and Zantedeschia, among others, face major challenges to continue developing new varieties that are future-proof. As a testing centre, we started research and processing in the early nineties in the above-mentioned crops.

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Dear European Commission, We are a producer of plants of the species Dracaena fragrans (L.) Ker-Gawl. Annual production is about 2 million pot plants and also under breeding for about 35 years. Dracaena is a woody crop with a long duration of breeding, but also a very long test phase and build-up of starting material.

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Dear European Commission, I just started a new breeding programme in the Ranonkel crop. The aim of the programme is to make the cultivation of this crop robust and to significantly reduce dependency on chemical plant protection. The reconciliation efforts should contribute to the achievement of the Green Deal objectives.

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