I've run out of time for this, for today. Best I could come up with is "Links to the websites of the Ministeries for Agriculture in the Member States" <https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/…>. I'd recommend members in specific EU countries search their own, via these departments, keeping in mind that officials do change responsibilities, and the listings need to checked for dates they were posted. In general, the EU claims accessibility and transparency, while its functionaries seem determined to do exactly the opposite. It's often extremely difficult to find who to speak with, how to reach them, and actually get their attention. It seems "a feature rather than a fault" of the system they maintain. (Having said that, it will vary country by country, some actually making an effort to be reachable.) In many cases it might be easiest to just pick up the phone and call the main contact number for your country to get specific email and phone numbers for your national representative on this. That info will be very helpful to share (see next paragraph). I'd also recommend all of us in the EU do some cross-pollinating on this by contacting any and all other horticulture, botanical, agriculture, permaculture, and plant-specific groups to make sure we can alert as much of their memberships and publics as possible. Don't forget to contact and/or post the various EU or global FaceBook groups on this topic. For those adept and so inclined, it's probably worthwhile drafting a short petition to the national and EU officers concerned, and sharing widely via tose same special focus groups (FB, etc). Let's keep in mind that while there may be loopholes drafted to make exceptions for educators, breeders and those conducting plant trials, there will still be paperwork and fees, and given it's the EU, quite likely an onerous process to be listed as "official". erik On Fri, 18 Oct 2019 at 04:41, <michaelcmace@gmail.com> wrote: > 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 > > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net > http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… > _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…