Uli makes a number of excellent points. We all, to some extent, have a selfish reason for sharing our prized plants, namely it gives us a bit of an insurance policy. Even the best grower can lose something because of a late freeze, animal damage, or whatever, so its always good to share things widely and preserve the gene bank. You might need a piece back sometime!
Sharing also helps us push the boundaries of our knowledge of hardiness. I'm now growing things I never thought would be hardy here if not for the risk-free opportunity afforded by SX/BX.
Does anyone know a plant fanatic in the diplomatic corps? Perhaps we will be reduced to moving seeds and bulbs in diplomatic pouches!
This is all so ironic in view of the tons of cocaine and fentenyl flooding across our borders, and the hundreds of thousands of people flooding into the EU and bringing tuberculosis along for the ride. But the bureaucrats are worrying about an envelope of seeds. When those Amazon scammers were sending packs of seeds to everyone, presumably from China, how many were intercepted by CBP or APHIS? Few to none as I recall. A few years ago I ordered a pack of seeds from Oz and the envelope came right to my door. No permit, no certificates, no anything. Do the EU people really open every padded envelope that comes in from overseas?
Can some EU members advise on what is the likely treatment of a padded envelope coming from the US with a customs declaration that says "Research specimens - no commercial value" "Product samples - no commercial value" or some such? Seems like the worst they can do is toss it in the incinerator.
Bob cool and rainy Zone 7
On Monday, May 10, 2021, 12:03:46 PM EDT, Uli via pbs <pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote:
Dear All,
Further to my email to the list I want to write that it was never my
intention to offend anybody who had in fact re-donated material to the
BX which I had sent before, hopefully I could solve this by private
correspondence. I want to raise awareness that I might not be able to
donate seed in the future due to the legal frame in my new home country
Portugal. Different EU countries may handle the new rules differently,
i.e. more liberally but here I am confronted with a stiff bureaucracy.
The problem is not getting seed into the USA, so the discussion about
small lots import licence does not help. The problem is getting it out
of the EU. Importing seeds INTO the EU has become practically impossible
by Jan 1st 2020, and from Jan 1st 2021 exporting OUT of the EU is
practically impossible for private entities. A private person will not
get a phytosanitary certificate which is now required for exporting any
plant material including seed. The donation of bulbs to the USA has
become impossible for quite some time due to US legislation. I am of
course writing about the official legal frame. Inside the EU everything
remains possible so I am only too glad we set up an EU-BX. The loss of
the United Kingdom due to Brexit is another point to digest, though.
My email also did not have the intention to want plants back. This of
course can happen but I would not do it this way.
This is an appeal to grow on and share what you have. I do not criticize
anybody who loses plants, who am I? But be aware of a world getting
narrower and poorer every day, species getting lost every day, so you
may have something that is more precious than you might think. Grow it
on and share it!
Bye for now
Uli
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