During the plenary session, MEPs vote on plans to extend plant variety protection for asparagus, flower bulbs, woody small fruits and woody ornamentals from 25 to 30 years. The negotiators agreed to legally protect these plant varieties for longer in order to reflect their complex, costly and lengthy breeding process, as well as the time breeders and growers need to build up a sufficiently large stock to generate a reasonable income. Extracts from the results of the vote and explanations by Bert-Jan RUISSEN (ECR, NL), rapporteur.

statement

Strasbourg

plenary session

vote

RUISSEN, Bert-Jan (ECR, NL)

Community plant variety rights; extension of the term for certain varieties: extracts from the vote and statement by Bert-Jan RUISSEN (ECR, NL), rapporteur

Title: Community plant variety rights; extension of the term for certain varieties

SOUNDBITE (English), Bert-Jan RUISSEN (ECR, NL), Rapporteur, We decided to extend the term of protection of the plant variety rights for some specific species, especially for the for the flower bulbs, asparagus buji, small fruits and woody ornamentals, this was a very, very important it's very important for the breeders the extension of the protection.

SOUNDBITE (English), Bert-Jan RUISSEN (ECR, NL), Rapporteur, For this species we had as a term of 25 years of protection and analyses shows that it is important to increase this period of five years and the reason is that this process of breeding the development of new varieties it's very complex, very costly, take many, many years. So in order to try to earn back the investments analyze shows has had a longer period of protection is needed.

SOUNDBITE (English), Bert-Jan RUISSEN (ECR, NL), Rapporteur, What with this proposal, we create a better environment for innovation. So as a main benefit is that the development of new varieties, more robust varieties, sustainable varieties is stimulated, supported by this proposal.

SOUNDBITE (German), Rainer WIELAND (EPP, DE), EP Vice president, Here are the votes results from Monday evening, 13 september. The Ruissen report on community plant variety rights; extension of the term for certain varieties has been adopted.