New regulation on seed imports into Europe - we need to ack quickly
michaelcmace@gmail.com (Thu, 17 Oct 2019 19:39:57 PDT)
Folks,
We have another situation with a new government regulation on seed trade
that could seriously restrict our ability to share plants. In this case, the
issue is with the European Union, which has proposed to require a
phytosanitary certificate on all seeds sent to any EU country. This is a
side effect of a regulation requiring phytos on all plant imports, with
plants being defined as any living part of a plant, including seeds.
Because phytos are expensive, this would shut down virtually all seed
sharing into the EU from other parts of the world, and it would dramatically
raise the prices on seed purchases. That includes the PBS seed exchange.
The volunteer who tracks these things, Joyce Fingerut, believes the EU was
thinking only of large commercial shipments, where the price of a phyto
wouldn’t be a big issue. The EU was apparently not even aware of the
hobbyist seed trade. So there is a good chance that they’ll create an
exception for small lots of seed, similar to the one in the US -- if they
hear from enough EU citizens.
The rule is called Regulation (EU) 2016/2031. You can read more about it
here:
https://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/…
rules_en
The actual regulation is enormous, far longer than I can absorb. I’m relying
on Joyce and the US plant protection folks, who say its effect will be to
ban all seed imports without a phyto. If you have more info please send it
to the list.
Nhu is going to write to them on behalf of the PBS, but comments from folks
within the EU will be most effective. If you live in an EU country, and care
about this issue, the best thing to do is send a message to your country
representative and to the EU contact point on this issue. I’ve attached a
list below. Unfortunately, we don’t have email addresses for these people,
so you’ll need to send written letters.
The points to make are:
* Small scale seed sharing is important to the operations of gardening
societies, researchers, and botanical gardens
* It’s also important to small specialty gardening businesses
* The cost and effort involved in getting phytosanitary certificates
would put a crippling burden on these activities
* Small-scale seed exchanges help preserve species in cultivation, and
reduce the demand for illegal imports and collections
* The risk of pest introduction through small lots of seeds is
extremely low
* Other countries have created successful exceptions for importing
small lots of seed, without adversely harming their bio-security
As always when dealing with this sort of situation, it’s important to be
polite. The authorities are usually sympathetic to individuals and small
organizations (the regulations were not aimed at us in the first place). So
if you’re nice about it there’s a good chance they’ll help us out.
This regulation will take effect December 14, so it is important to act
quickly.
I know it sometimes feels useless to fight a regulation like this, but we
were able to make a big difference in the US, and if we work together
there’s a good chance we can fix this new situation as well. So if you live
in an EU country, or have a business that would be affected by this
regulation, please speak up.
Thanks,
Mike
San Jose, CA
Here’s a list of the EU and national contacts:
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Mrs. Dorothee Andre
Health & Consumer Protection Directorate
General European Commission
Rue de la Loi 200
B-1049 Brussels
BELGIUM
AUSTRIA
Dr. Matthias Lentsch
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Environment and Water Management
Unit III 9 a - Plant Protection
Stubenring 1 A
Vienna 1012
AUSTRIA
BELGIUM
Mr. Leonard Bosschaert
Counselor
Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain – DG Control Policy
International Affairs CA
Botanique Food Safety Center - Boulevard du Jardin Botanique 55
B1000 Brussels
BELGIUM
BULGARIA
Mr. Nikolay Rosnev
Chief Plant Health Officer
Bulgarian Food Safety Agency
Pencho Slaveykov blvb. 15 A
1606 SOFIA
BULGARIA
CROATIA
Ms. Jelena Dugum
Director General
Directorate for Food Safety and Phytosanitary Policy
Ministry of Agriculture
Ulica grada Vukovara 78
10000 Zagreb
CROATIA
CYPRUS
Ms Anthemis Melifronidou-Pantelidou
Director
Department of Agriculture Ministry of Agriculture
Natural Resources and Environment
1412 Nicosia
CYPRUS
CZECH REPUBLIC
Mr. Michal Hnízdil
Director of Import and Export Department
Hroznova 2, 656 06 Brno,
CZECH REPUBLIC
DENMARK
Mr. Jorgen Sogaard Hansen
Chief Plant Health Officer
Danish AgriFish Agency
Center for Agriculture
Nyropsgade 30DK-1780 Kobenhavn V
DENMARK
ESTONIA
Mrs. Anu Nemvalts
Agricultural Board
Teaduse 2
Saku
75501 Harjumaa
ESTONIA
FINLAND
Ms. Marja Savonmaki
Ministerial Advisor
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Department of Food and Health
PO Box 30 FI - 00023 GOVERNMENT
FINLAND
FRANCE
Alain Tridon
Director for Quality and Plant Health, CPO
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries
251 rue de Vaugirard,
75732 Paris Cedex 15
FRANCE
GERMANY
Dr. Karola Schorn
Division 512 - Plant Health
Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection
Rochusstrabe 1
53123 Bonn
GERMANY
GREECE
Mrs. Annoula Mavridou
Director Head of NPPO
Ministry of Rural Development and Food
Directorate of Plant Produce Protection - Department of Phytosanitary
Control
150 Leoforos Sygrou
17671 Athens
GREECE
HUNGARY
Mr. Lajos Szabó
Director
Directorate for Plant-, Soil-, and Ag Environment- Protection
MgSzH Central Agricultural Office
Budapest, Keleti Karoly u. 24.
HUNGARY
IRELAND
Barry Delaney
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Backweston Campus
Young’s Cross
Celbridge
Co. Kildare
IRELAND
ISRAEL
Prof. Abed Gera
Deputy Director
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Plant Protection and Inspection Services (PPIS)
P.O.Box 78
Bet-Dagan 50250
ISRAEL
ITALY
Dr. Bruno Caio Faraglia
Executive Officer
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies
Via XX Settembre, 20
00187 Rome
ITALY
LATVIA
Ms Kristine Kjago
Director
State Plant Protection Service
Ministry of Agriculture
Lielvardes Street 36/38
Riga, LV – 1006
LATVIA
LITHUANIA
Mr. Sergejus Fedotovas
Director
State Plant Protection Service
Kalvariju str. 62
09304 Vilnius
LITHUANIA
LUXEMBURG
Ms. Monique Faber-Decker
Plant Protection Service
Agriculture Technical Services Administration
Route D'Esch 16 BP 1904
L-1019 Luxembourg
LUXEMBOURG
MALTA
Mr. Sharlo Camilleri
Plant Protection Directorate
Plant Biotechnology Centre
Annibale Preca Street
Lija LJA 1915
MALTA
NORWAY
Hilde Paulsen
Norwegian Food Safety Authority
Head Office, Department of Legislation
Felles postmottak, P.O.Box 383
N-2381 Brumunddal
NORWAY
POLAND
Mr. Andrzej Chodkowski
Main Inspector
Plant Health and Seed Inspection
Al Jana Pawla II 11
00-828 Warsaw
POLAND
PORTUGAL
Mrs. Paula Cruz de Carvalho
Deputy Director General
Directorate General of Agriculture and Rural Development - DGADR
Av. Afonso Costa 3
1949-002 Lisboa
PORTUGAL
ROMANIA
Mrs. Paulina Gabor
General Director
National Phytosanitary Agency
Ministry of Agriculture
B-dul Carol I, nr. 2-4, sector 3
codul postal 020921
oficiul postal 37, Bucuresti
ROMANIA
SLOVAKIA
Mrs Katarina Benovska
Head Officer, Plant Protection Service
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Dobrovicova 12
812 66 BRATISLAVA
SLOVAKIA
SLOVENIA
Ms Katarina Groznik
Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Food Safety, Veterinary
Sector and Plant Protection
Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment
Dunajska cesta 22
1000 Ljubljana
SLOVENIA
SPAIN
Mr. Miguel Angel Martin Esteban
Deputy Director General of Sanitary Agreements and Border Control
Directorate General of Agricultural and Livestock Resources
Secretary of Rural Medium and Ministry of Environment
C/Alfonso XII, 62-2
28071 - Madrid
SPAIN
SWEDEN
Mrs Karin Nordin
Plant Protection Service
Swedish Board of Agriculture
551 82 Jonkoping
SWEDEN
SWITZERLAND
Dr. Gabriele Schachermanyr
Head of Certification, Plant Health and Variety Rights Unit
Federal Department of Economic Affairs FDEA
Federal office for agriculture FOAG
Mattenhofstr. 5, CH-3003 Bern
SWITZERLAND
THE NETHERLANDS
Mr. A. C. van Arnhem
Head Division Plant Health Advice and International Affairs
Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality
Plant Protection Service
15, Geertjesweg P.O.Box 9102
6700 HC Wageningen
THE NETHERLANDS
UK & NORTHERN IRELAND
Mrs. Nicola Spence
Chief Plant Health Officer
APHA Plant Health & Seeds Inspectorate
The National Agri-food Innovation Campus
Sand Hutton
York
YO41 1LZ
UNITED KINGDOM
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