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Stop patent monopolies on seeds!
We demand a moratorium for patents on plants and animals
We demand that the European Patent Office (EPO) takes urgent action to protect the common good by stopping patent monopolies on seeds. As long as we have no solution, there has to be a moratorium on patent applications for plants and animals!
After more than ten years of controversial debate, the EPO finally decided to prohibit patents on conventionally bred plants and animals. However, patents are still being granted on random mutation breeding. Several hundred conventionally-bred varieties have already been patented in Europe.
According to European laws, patents on “essentially biological processes” for the breeding of plants and animals are prohibited. However, there is no clear legal distinction to technical processes of genetic engineering. These gaps in legal clarity could be resolved in the decision-making process of the Administrative Council of the EPO, which represents 38 contracting states and is responsible for the correct interpretation of European patent law.
Quick decisions are needed to prevent large companies from taking more and more control of the seed markets. If the contracting states of the EPO need more time for discussions, a moratorium for pending decisions for patents on plants and animals has to be put in place.
Send us the demands via postal mail
The press release from 14 December 2020
ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTING THE DEMANDS
Arbeitsgemeinschaft bäuerliche Landwirtschaft e.V. (AbL)
Asociación Vida Sana
biorespect
BUND Naturschutz in Bayern e.V.
Coordination gegen BAYER-Gefahren
Corporate Europe Observatory
Die Freien Bäcker e.V.
Dachverband Kulturpflanzen- und Nutztiervielfalt e.V.
Fundacja AgriNatura
Frøsamlerne (Danish Seed Savers)
Gen-ethical network
Genussgemeinschaft Städter und Bauern e.V.
Gesellschaft für ökologische Forschung
IG Nachbau
Kein Patent auf Leben
Oxfam
Plataforma Transgénicos Fora
Public Eye
Sambucus e.V.
Społeczny Instytut Ekologiczny (Social Ecological Institute, Poland)
SWISSAID
Umweltinstitut München e.V.
VEN – Verein zur Erhaltung der Nutzpflanzenvielfalt e.V.