France
October 7, 2024
The draft European regulations concerning Plant Reproductive Material (PRM) and New Genomic Techniques (NGT) were published in July 2023. Since then, they have been the subject of numerous discussions between the various Member States, both within the European Commission and the European Parliament. A progress report on the discussions and the main changes to the text compared with the initial version are presented in the POPAM section.
In the context of the draft text on PRM, it should be noted that while PRM of ornamental species is excluded from the scope of this new regulation, certain species which have not been regulated until now could be included in Annex 1, which lists all the genera and species and their respective uses. One of the species under discussion is coriander, which could then be included in the Catalogue by the POPAM Section, with all that this implies in terms of the draft regulation.
With regard to the draft text on New Genomic Techniques (NGT), the Hungarian Presidency (2nd half of 2024) does not wish to prioritise progress on the draft regulation. The next Polish Presidency (2025) also seems to share this approach.
A progress report on the CTPS Scientific Council’s referral on Adaptation to climate change and variety evaluation was presented to the POPAM Section. This work, divided into 6 stages over 1 year, aims to answer the central question of ‘How to take better account of climate change when registering varieties’. The first two stages will be climate projections and the issues at stake, together with an inventory of the CTPS sections. Then, in the 1st quarter of 2024, the questions of the contribution of breeding, the potential of varieties to adapt to hazards and trial networks will be addressed, with a view to defining recommendations and responses to the questions and obstacles raised by the sections. The results of this referral will be presented at the CTPS Plenary Committee meeting in November 2024.
This last session of the POPAM section is an opportunity to review the actions carried out under the Seeds and Plants for Sustainable Agriculture 2 Plan defined at the start of the term of office. To meet the objectives of this plan, each section of the CTPS has taken ownership of the 4 areas that make it up:
- A1: a diversity of varieties and species,
- A2: quality food that respects the environment,
- A3: participative approaches and the use of new techniques, and
- A4: scientific expertise at the service of public authorities and society
to develop a maximum of 7 actions to be implemented.
The review shows that while some actions still need to be consolidated/strengthened (around nitrogen, genotyping and phenotyping in variety evaluation, the fluidity of data exchanges, the continuum of European cooperation, etc.) or explored further (complex cover, ecosystem services, etc.), some actions already have a good momentum and need to be continued: diversity of species and varieties, PGR, organic agriculture, pests, food autonomy and quality, climate change, etc.
As part of SPAD2, the “POPAM” section had prioritised the organisation of the management of plant genetic resources (PGR) in the natural environment and in collections. In this respect, the section hosted two presentations during this session: the first on the interests of genetic resource conservation and the issues involved, illustrated by a number of varied examples; and the second, on the results of the survey on POPAM PGR conducted in the first quarter of 2023 by the national coordination, commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, to identify and support all the players involved in the conservation and development of PGR of cultivated species and their wild relatives, with the exception of forest trees. The aim of this survey, to which the section contributed and helped to disseminate, was to complement and build on the survey launched in 2019 by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) on PGR for food and agriculture. The aim of this first survey on POPAMs is to draw up an inventory of the various players and actions carried out on POPAM PGRs in France.
Finally, this last meeting of the POPAM section will have been an opportunity for the President to look back over her fifteen years with the POPAM section, first as a scientific expert and then as President of the section over the last two terms of office, giving a non-exhaustive overview of the various debates, actions and work undertaken within the section. Wishing to retire from her CTPS activities, she will no longer be President or member of the POPAM section for the next term, which will begin in November 2024. The members of the POPAM section and the Secretary General of the CTPS would like to thank her warmly for her commitment to the POPAM section and her involvement in the various CTPS bodies.
The next meeting will be scheduled during 2025 in consultation with the new POPAM Section Chair and after the appointment of the various members of the POPAM Section.
Topics
Species
