PRESS RELEASE 2 May 2013
Amsterdam/Nijmegen – On Monday 6 May, the European Commission will vote on a proposal by the Directorate General for Health and Consumers (DG SANCO) for new seed regulations. Large seed companies have long pushed for these regulations in order to further strengthen their market positions. The new rules will mean that farmers and independent breeders will be forbidden to use old and rare seeds if they are not on the European varieties list. This threatens the exchange and sale of many currently available varieties, and thus also the cultivation of these crops. The regulations will cause a serious decline in agrobiodiversity. ASEED Europe, Platform Aarde Boer Consument, Stichting Zaadgoed and Cityplot, together with many other civil society organizations in Europe, are calling upon European Commissioner Neelie Kroes and all other commissioners with an international petition (1) to vote against the proposal.
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