Online roundtable « Free access to seeds – for a crisis-proof food system. Why a seed patent law reform is key? »

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Publié le 09/12/2024

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2.30 pm Welcome by MEPs Christophe Clergeau, S&D, Martin Häusling, The Greens & Anja Hazekamp, The Left (15 min)

Key messages:

• Why do we need a reform of patent law?
• History of the European Parliament’s demands in this regard
• Context of deregulation of new genetic engineering methods

2.45 pm Content inputs by experts (40 min)

European Commission, Vytenis Semeta, legal and policy officer, DG Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG Grow) (5min)

• Current status of European patent law applicable to inventions in the area of plants and on the Commission’s assessment concerning the impact of NGT plant patenting.

         No patents on seeds, Dr. Christoph Then (5 min)

• Presentation of facts & data around key problems of patent law in relation to access to seeds

        Prof. Dr. Axel Metzger, Humboldt University of Berlin (25 min)

• Presentation of proposals from a legal study for changing patent law to increase access to seeds

3.25 pm Statements on the legal study (30 min)
moderated by German MP & commissioner of the legal study Karl Bär

         Euroseeds, Petra Jorasch, Manager Plant Breeding Innovation Advocacy (5min)

         No Patents on Seeds, Christoph Then, Spokesperson (5 min)

         Arche Noah, Dagmar Urban, Seed Policy Officer (5 min)

        Copa Cogeca, Thor G Kofoed, chairman seeds working party (5 min)

        European Coordination Via Campesina, Cloé Mathurin, Policy officer Seeds & GMOs Working Group (5 min)

        IFOAM Organics Europe, Helene Schmutzler, Senior Policy Officer on GMOs and Animal Welfare (5 min)

3.55 pm Closing statement by MP Karl Bär

4pm end