Genetic Resources [EU]

Marketing of pure-bred animals

To lay down harmonised rules for the marketing of purebred animals for which the zootechnical rules have not yet been the subject of Community legislation.

Council Directive 91/174/EEC of 25 March 1991 laying down zootechnical and pedigree requirements for the marketing of pure-bred animals and amending Directives 77/504/EEC and 90/425/EEC.

[Official Journal L 85, 05.04.1991].

The Directive applies to the marketing of purebred animals and their semen, ova and embryos, other than those of bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine and equine species.

Definition of “purebred animal”.

Member States must ensure that intra-Community trade in purebred animals and their semen, ova or embryos may not be prohibited, restricted or impeded on zootechnical or pedigree grounds.

They must also ensure that the following are adopted in a non-discriminatory manner:

• the criteria for entry or registration in pedigree records or registers;
• the criteria for approval for reproduction of purebred animals and the use of their semen, ova and embryos;
• the certificate to be required for their marketing.

Pending the adoption of Community rules, the requirements applying to imports of purebred animals and their semen, ova and embryos from non-EC countries may not be more favourable than those applied to intra-Community trade.

Amendment of Council Directives 77/504/EEC (Official Journal L 206, 12.08.1977) and 90/425/EEC (summary 2.6.1).

Genetic resources in agriculture

The European Union is complementing and encouraging Member States’ efforts on the conservation and sustainable utilisation of biodiversity in agriculture by financing a number of measures under a Community programme for 2004-06.

Council Regulation (EC) No 870/2004 of 24 April 2004 establishing a Community programme on the conservation, characterisation, collection and utilisation of genetic resources in agriculture, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1467/94

During the period 2004-06, the Commission is implementing a Community programme covering plant, microbial and animal genetic resources * which are or could be of use in agriculture. The amount allocated to the programme is 10 million.

The Commission selects the actions to be part-financed under the programme on the basis of calls for proposals and following evaluation by independent experts. Proposals may be submitted by a public sector body or any natural or legal person who is a national of a Member State and established in the Community, in an EFTA/EEA country, or in an associated country in accordance with the conditions stipulated in a bilateral agreement.

The actions, which may last for a maximum of four years, may be of three types:

• targeted actions, part-financed up to a maximum of 50% of their total cost and including:
  – transnational actions promoting the ex situ and in situ conservation *, characterisation, collection and utilisation of genetic resources in agriculture;
  – the establishment of a European decentralised, permanent and widely accessible web-based inventory of genetic resources currently conserved in situ including in situ/on-farm genetic resources conservation activities;
  – the establishment of a European decentralised, permanent and widely accessible web-based inventory of the ex situ collections (gene banks) and in situ resources;
  – the promotion of regular exchanges of technical and scientific information among competent organisations in the Member States;
• concerted actions, part-financed up to a maximum of 80% of their total cost, transnational in character and promoting the exchange of information on thematic issues for the purpose of improving the coordination of actions and programmes in the sphere concerned;
• accompanying actions, part-financed up to a maximum of 80% of their total cost and comprising information, dissemination and advisory actions, training courses and the preparation of technical reports.

Once an action has been approved, the Commission will conclude a grant agreement with the participants setting out detailed criteria for the reporting, dissemination, protection and exploitation of the results of the action.

The Commission is assisted by a Committee on the conservation, characterisation, collection and utilisation of genetic resources in agriculture. The Commission may also call on the assistance of scientific and technical experts for the implementation of the programme.

At the end of the programme, the Commission will appoint a group of independent experts to report on the implementation of the Regulation, to assess the results and to make appropriate recommendations. The group’s report will be submitted to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee.