ARCHE NOAH (May 2025) finds the proposed EU PRM Regulation would impose disproportionate administrative and testing burdens on small seed producers, risking loss of varieties and business closures; calls for exemptions and proportional rules.
EU Seed Policy & Law
Guide to EU Seed Policy 2023 – Seeding Europe
Practical guide to EU seed policy (May 2023): institutions, legal instruments, GMO and plant health rules, biodiversity, intellectual property and seed marketing, aimed at seed savers, NGOs and citizens.
Analysis of trilogue negotiations on plant reproductive material
Our colleagues at ARCHE NOAH have shared with us their analysis of the trilogue on PRM. We summarise the main points here and share information on the next online meeting.
European Patent Office circumvents regulations and laws
No Patents on Seeds! recently published a report highlighting the European Patent Office’s granting of patents not allowed under EU law. Link to the report in this post.
EU reform on seed marketing regulation from the perspective of organic breeders
LiveSeeding/FiBL-Europe policy brief (Apr 2024, adj. Sep 2024) on the EU PRM reform: protect OV and OHM, favour adapted DUS/VSCU under organic conditions, avoid mandatory VSCU for vegetables/fruits, ban patents/NGTs, and involve organic stakeholders.
Capacity Building on European Seed Policy and Legislation
DiverSeedPaths (Dec 2024) report on EU seed policy and the PRM marketing reform, analysing impacts on seed diversity and farmers’ rights and offering practical advocacy steps.
80 percent of European citizens say NO to patents on seeds
No Patents on Seeds! recently published the results of a public opinion survey on plant and animal patents. The results are clear, European citizens are against it.
Strengthening Community Seed Banks and Sustainable Seed-Saving Practices in Europe (KA210-ADU-1727BE52) Community Seed Bank Labs WS 3
Community Seed Bank Labs – Workshop funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ project Seeds of Growth (Project ID: KA210-ADU-1727BE52).
Presentation on EU and international policy frameworks for community seed banks, covering access to germplasm, EU seed/PRM rules, DUS/VCU, heterogeneous materials, benefit-sharing and practical implications for CSB governance and sustainability.
How can municipalities help defend seed diversity in Europe?
How can municipalities help defend seed diversity in Europe? A recent initiative from the Red de Municipios por la Agroecología (RMAe) offers a strong example!
Safeguarding Europe’s Cultivated Plant Diversity
PRM Reform - Safeguarding Europe's Cultivated Plant Diversity The new EU Plant Reproductive Material (PRM) Regulation will influence the future of seed diversity as well as farmers’ rights, and market access for innovative and traditional varieties in Europe and all...
