NoC52/20 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 19.2.94
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation(EEC)ontheconservation,characterization
andutilizationofgeneticresourcesinagriculture(*)
(94/C52/07)
On27September1993theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticles43and198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,
ontheabovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforAgricultureandFisheries,whichwasresponsibleforpreparingtheCom­
mittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon8December1993.TheRapporteurwas
MrProumens .
Atits311thPlenarySession(meetingof21December1993),theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
TheCommitteeendorsesthisproposalforaRegulation .
Itnotonlyregardsitasapositivesteptocoordinate
theinformationcoveredbytheproposal,butalsosug­
geststhattheCommissionensurewidespreadaware­
nessofitsinitiativeanditswork,whilereferringat
internationalleveleventopursuingtheaimsadvocated
attheRioConference .
However,ithasanumberofcommentsandrecommen­
dationstomake(seebelow).inars,exchangesofexperts,studyvisitsandscientific
andtechnicalreportsistobewelcomed.
1.6.Theproposalalsoprovidesforamanagement
committee,composedofrepresentatives oftheMember
States.
1.7.Theemphasisismainlyonplantgenetic
resources,sincethreequartersofthebudgetforconser­
vation,characterization andutilizationofresourcesis
devotedtothese(leavingaquarterforanimalgenetic
resources).
1.8.Thetotalbudgetforthefive-yearperiodcovered
bythisproposalisECU20million.
2.Generalremarks1.Generalcomments
1.1.Thisproposalseeksessentiallytointroducea
systemofinformationandconsultationbetweenMem­
berStates.
1.2.Thescopeoftheproposalexcludes,ipsofacto,
allformsoffundingofbasicresearch.
1.3.However,atMemberStatelevel,thedatacol­
lectedwillmakepossibleinterestingdevelopmentwork,
andtheCommissionappearstobebestplacedtodiscuss
thiswithotherinternationalorganizations suchasthe
FAO.
1.4.AlthoughtheCommission'sdraftdoesnotear­
markfundsforresearchtheCommitteewouldencour­
ageMemberStatestopursueactivitiesbasedonthe
inventory.Theaimwouldbetoproducemodern,high­
qualitybutalsomoreprofitableanimalbreedswithout
atthesametimeneglectingancientandtraditional
breedswhosegradualdisappearance would,according
toarecentFAOreport,constituteaninestimablegen­
eticloss.
1.5.Inthisconnection,theideaoforganizingsem­2.1.TheCommitteewelcomestheinitiativebut
hopesthatthesystemwillnotbetooorientedtowards
essentiallyadministrative aspects.
2.2.Inthatcase—andtheCommission mustbe
veryattentivetothisandavoidagrowthinmanagement
expenditureattheexpenseofproductiveexpenditure
—thebudgetwouldbetoolargefortherealobjectives
achieved.
2.3.Ontheotherhand—andthisseemstobethe
Commission'swish,sharedbytheCommittee—ifthe
proposalweretoleadtopracticalresultstheplanned
budgetwouldbejustified.
2.4.TheCommitteeaccordinglyfeelsthattheCom­
missionshouldensurethatthesystemsetupoverthe
five-yearperiodcanbecontinuedthereafter.
2.4.1.Toensurethatpresentandfuturedevelop­
mentsgowell,theCommissionshouldlaydownthe
rulesfordrawinguptheinventoryatthetimewhenit
beginsitswork.
2.5.Ofcourse,thatwilldependontheresultsachiev­
edandonproperoperationofthesystematCommunity (!)OJNoC266,1.10.1993,p.2.

19.2.94 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC52/21
level,whileenablingtheMemberStatestodevelop
theirownactivitiesandinitiatives,possiblycooperating
amongthemselves,andrespectingsubsidiarity,without
thenationalbudgetsbeingreduced.
2.5.1.However,respectforsubsidiarityandthe
diversityoftheworkshouldnotleadtoadeclinein
thework'squalityorapointlessriseincosts.
2.6.Inthiscontext,theCommitteenotesthatthere
shouldbecleardifferentiation ,takingaccountofthe
specificfeaturesofregions,theirsoiltypes,andplant
(andevenanimal)speciestraditionallycultivatedor
bredthere.
2.7.Allthisdoesnotmeanfixingcurrentprojectsin
aMalthusianstatusquo,butratherpromotingany
applicationsofresultsobtainedbyotherMemberStates
wheretheclimaticconditions,thestateofthesoilsand
thetraditionalcropscanbestudiedinabolderormore
innovativespirit.
2.8.IntheCommittee'sviewtheessentialaimsto
bepursuedare:insectsusefulinthisrespect,aswellascertainfungior
micro-organisms .
2.11.TheCommitteesuggeststhattoavoidany
ambiguityinthewordingofArticle1(2),medicinaland
aromaticplantsshouldbeaddedtothelist.
3.Specificcomments
3.1.TheinformationcollectedbytheCommission
shouldbemadeavailabletoallinterestedsectors,such
asfarmers,theagro-foodstuffs sector,seedproducers,
nurserygrowersandcentreswithzootechnicaland
breedingresponsibilities .
3.2.Itgoeswithoutsayingthatthetradeassociations
inthesesectorsshouldbeparticularlywellinformed.
Itisuptothemtoensureproperdisseminationofthe
informationcollectedtousersandfutureusers.
3.3.Animportantproblemmayariseforthepracti­
calapplicationsofpatentedorpotentiallypatented
workongenetics.TheMemberStatesandtheCom­
missionshouldbeabletoincludeintheinventoryan
indicationofthepatentwithdetailsofthepatent
holder.Thesamemustapplytotheconceptof'intellec­
tualproperty'.
3.4.Cultivarproducersshouldbeabletoaskthe
Commissiontokeepsomeoftheinformationcommuni­
catedconfidential,particularlytoprotectthemagainst
competition .
3.5.WhenplanningtheinventorytheCommission
shouldprovideacross-referenced indextofacilitate
consultationoftheinventorybasedontheinterestof
anygivensubject.—quality,
—biodiversity,
—diversification ofspeciesanduses.
2.9.InthisspirittheCommitteeurgesthatlesstra­
ditional,orevenunexplored,applicationsbecon­
sidered,particularlyattheutilizationstage.Forexam­
ple,certainplantsusedforfoodoranimalfeedshould
alsobeconsideredformedicinal,cosmeticorenergy
uses,ortestscouldbecarriedoutonpartsofplants
(oranimalorgans)notusedhitherto,whichcouldturn
outtobeofinterestfornewuses.
2.10.Thevariouspotentialfieldsofworkshouldnot
failtoincludethoserelatingtobiologicalprotection,
andparticularlydataonladybirds,waspsandother4.Information
Inviewofthepresentandfutureinterestintheproject,
theCommitteerecommends thattheCommission
informthegeneralpublicofthedevelopmentandresults
oftheworkcoveredbythisproposalforaRegulation .
DoneatBrussels,21December1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN