DiverSeedPaths report (capacity-building recap of online training session on the proposed PRM regulation, 17–18 October 2024)
This DiverSeedPaths capacity-building report (edited by Gabriele Maneo, ECLLD!) summarises an online training held 17–18 October 2024 by Fulya Batur (Kybele) and other EC-LLD! members provides a concise guide to EU seed policy and the proposed Plant Reproductive Material (PRM) marketing reform. It explains the roles of the European Commission, European Parliament and Council and the Ordinary Legislative Procedure; outlines EU legislative instruments (regulations, directives, decisions, recommendations); and describes the regulatory framework for PRM (seed quality, variety registration, plant health, genetic diversity). The report tracks the PRM marketing reform process (proposal 2023/0227 (COD)), summarises positions from the Commission, Parliament and Council, and presents an analysis from a seed diversity perspective drawing on ARCHE NOAH and the “Raise Our Forks” campaign. Key topics include conservation of locally adapted varieties, farmers’ rights to use and exchange seed, access for regional seed producers, sustainability labelling concerns, and transparency/misappropriation risks. The final chapter offers practical advocacy actions (petitioning, outreach to agriculture ministries, petition handovers, interviews with small seed producers, and Council-focused strategies). Partner organisations and contact emails are listed; the project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme and implemented by Aegilops, ECLLD!, and Réseau Semences Paysannes (RSP).
Key topics: EU seed marketing reform, PRM regulation, seed diversity, farmers’ rights, advocacy, Ordinary Legislative Procedure, community seed systems
