Apbrebes - Updates on Plant Variety Protection issue # 25, 21 ottobre 2016

Topics:

Editorial

UPOV’s 2016 Autumn Session – Upcoming Issues

Report on the Global Consultation on Farmers’ Rights, held 27th to 30th September in Bali, Indonesia

Panel: WIPO Assistance Should Provide Developing Countries with Choices on Plant Variety Protection

Publication: The Effect of Intellectual Property Rights on Agricultural Productivity

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1. Editorial

This issue of APBREBES Updates presents a report on the Consultation on Farmers’ Rights held September in Indonesia. Further, a side event at the WIPO General Assembly on PVP Training and Assistance is highlighted. The Updates also inform about UPOV’s autumn session that begins on 24th October, and present a new publication, showing the effect of PVP on agricultural productivity.

2. UPOV’s 2016 Autumn Session – Upcoming Issues

UPOV member states and observers will be meeting in Geneva between 24th and 28th October for UPOV’s Autumn session. Its main rule-making body, the Consultative Committee (CC) will meet on 27th, while the UPOV Council, its highest decision-making body, on 28th October. The Administrative and Legal Committee (CAJ) is scheduled for the 25th October. The interested public can attend two events: On 24th October, the Seminar on propagating and harvested material in the context of the UPOV Convention is held, while on 26th October, the Symposium on possible interrelations between the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) and the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV Convention) will take place.

3. Global Consultation on Farmers’ Rights, held 27th to 30th September in Bali, Indonesia

Report by Elin Cecilie Ranum, Head of Policy and Information Department Utviklingsfondet/The Development Fund

Almost 100 representatives from farmers’ organisations, civil society, contracting parties, research institutes, international organization and the seed sector were gathered in Bali, Indonesia between the 27th and 30th September to discuss the implementation of Farmers’ Rights as established by the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (the Plant Treaty). This was the third global consultation to share knowledge, views, experiences and obstacles in order to prepare recommendations for the realisation of Farmers’ Rights. The meeting was co-hosted by the Governments of Indonesia and Norway, which will present the report and main recommendations to the Governing Body of the Plant Treaty in its seventh session in 2017.

4. Panel: WIPO Assistance Should Provide Developing Countries With Choices On Plant Variety Protection

A side event to the recent annual General Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization looked at ways for developing countries to design sui generis system for protecting new varieties of plant. The event also looked into the technical assistance provided by WIPO, which, according to the groups, focuses only on the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) system.

Read the IP Watch report by Catherine Saez

5. Publication: The Effect of Intellectual Property Rights on Agricultural Productivity

This econometric study provides strong evidence against the idea that there is a unique system of PVP protection that fits all countries.

Mercedes Campi (2016): The Effect of Intellectual Property Rights on Agricultural Productivity

Read the publication

6. Upcoming Events

Autumn 2016 Session of UPOV bodies

Monday 24 October 2016 Seminar on propagating and harvested material in the context of the UPOV Convention (open to the public)

Monday (evening), 24 October Meeting on the Development of a Prototype Electronic Form

Tuesday 25 Administrative and Legal Committee

Tuesday (evening), 25 October Working Group on Variety Denominations

Wednesday, 26th October, Symposium on possible interrelations between the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) and the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV Convention)