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EUROPEAN-SEED.COMIEUROPEANSEEDI15orthosewhomisseditthereisaveryinterestingongoingdevelopmentintheregulatoryfeldwhichwillhavemajorconsequencestowardimprovingnotonlythelivesothoseintheEuropeanseedindustrybuttheglobalseedtrade.ForthepastcoupleoyearstheseedindustryhasbeenworkingtoimprovethecumbersomephytosanitaryregulationsandtheplacetodosoisattheInternationalPlantProtectionConventioncommonlyknownasIPPC.TheIPPCisaConventionthathasbeensignedbymostgovernmentsandprovidestherameworkorregulatingtheinternationaltradeoplantsandplantmaterialsexplainsGerardMeijerinkseniorgovernmentrelationsadvocateorSyngentainBrussels.ThisConventionprovidesguidancetogovernmentsoutlininghowtosetupphytosanitaryinspectionbodiesperormpestriskanalysisanddetermineipestswarrantregulation.MostimportantlytheConventionexplainshowtodefnephytosanitarymeasuresthatprevententryounwantedregulatedpestswithoutbeingtoorestrictivetotrade.TheConventionisarameworkwherecountriesagreetotheoverallaimopreventingthespreadoplantpestsandmoredetailedguidanceisprovidedintheInternationalStandardsorPhytosanitaryMeasuresorISPMs.MostISPMscoveraspectsophytosanitaryconceptswhichhavehorizontalvalidityoranytypeoplantorplantmaterialsuchasseedsruitslivingplantsvegetablesandgrain.HoweverinthepasttherehasnotbeenanISPMspecifctoseedwhichleavesagreatdealopentointerpretationandcancreateconusionintheseedtradeoneothemanyreasonstheinternationalseedindustryhasbeenpushingtheIPPCtoadoptseed-specifcISPMs.ThesenewISPMswillaecttheactivitiesoeachandeveryseedcompanyseekingtotradeormoveseedaroundtheworld.WHYISTHISSIGNIFICANTSeedcompaniesareincreasinglymovingvaryingquantitiesoseedaroundtheworldornumerousreasonssuchasbreedingseedproductionlaboratorytestingtriallingandcommercialproduction.Sobusinessisotenaectedbyoverlycomplexandunreasonableregulations.TheseedindustrythroughtheInternationalSeedFederationhasbeenlobbyingormanyyearsoraphytosanitarystandardwhichwouldbettertakeintoaccountthespecifcsoseedorplantingMeijerinksays.JulieAliagadirectorotheinternationalstandardsprogramattheUnitedStatesAnimalandPlantHealthInspectionServiceandstewardothenewlyproposedISPMsmentionsthetroublesthattheseedindustrywashaving.Theseedindustrywithitsinternationaltradeisveryspecifcandalsoverycomplexinnatureduetotheactthatseedscanbestoredoralongtimebeorebeingre-exportedshesays.Thiscancauseproblemsinthosecaseswhereaphytosanitarydeclarationisneededbasedonrecentevidence.BrentLarsonstandardsoicerattheIPPCSecretariataddsthatthenewISPMshouldhelpharmonisephytosanitaryregulationsamongcountries.AteradoptionothisISPMtheNationalPlantProtectionOrgansationswillhaveguidanceonhowtoredrattheirnationalrules.InotherwordshowtodevelopandimplementtheirphytosanitarymanagementoseedimportsLarsonsays.SinceitsfrstrequestoranISPMonseedstheseedindustryhasprovidedanumberopapersthatwerespecifcindescribingtheissuesotheseedindustryandatthesametimeaddingpossiblesolutions.InJuly2014theirstdratothisISPMwasreleasedormemberconsultation.AllcountriesthroughtheirnationalplantprotectionorganisationNPPOhavetheopportunitytogiveeedbackonthedratandtoexpressalternativeproposals.ThisconsultationlaststhroughNovemberothisyear.LarsonadvisestheseedindustrytoengagewiththeNPPOs.GetinvolvedintheprocessandhelpyourNPPOdratyournationalcommentshesays.AdditionallytheInternationalSeedFederationarelevantinternationalorganisationorthisISPMalsohasanopportunitytoprovidesuggestions.In2012theIPPCadoptedaStrategicFrameworkthatprovidesdirectionorthenexteightyearsandoneotheourkeyobjectiveswastoenhanceitscontributiontotheglobaloodsecurityagendathroughnewandupdatedstandardsaimedatpreventingpestspreadintradeLarsonadds.WiththenewISPMonseedtheIPPCcontinuestoadvancetowardmeetingitsstrategicobjectiveswhileacilitatingtheinternationalseedtrade.WHATDOESITSOLVEMeijerinksumsuptheseed-specifcissuesthatarebeingaddressedbythisISPMItprovidesguidanceonpestriskanalysiswithspeciicconsiderationorseedasapotentialpathwayorentryandspreadingoapest.TheISPMreerencesISFsPestListsasauseulresourceordecidingwhichpestsonwhichseedsmightbeapathway.Itprovidesguidanceonhowtodefnephytosanitarymeasurestakingintoaccounttheintendeduseotheseed.Thiswillallowdierentiationorexamplebetweenseedsorcommercialopenfeldplantingandseedsordestructivelaboratorytesting.Itprovidesguidanceophytosanitarymeasuresspecifcorseeds.Amongothersitintroducespestresistanceandseeddisinectiontreatmentaspotentialphytosanitarymeasures.Itprovidesmorespecifcguidanceonhowtohandlere-exportsespeciallywhenpartotheadditionaldeclarationscomeromthecountryore-export.Harmonisationoadditionaldeclarationsandequivalencyophytosanitarymeasuresarealsousedtoacilitatere-exportstodestinationswithvaryingrequirements.Itprovidesguidanceonthecriteriaorseedhealthtestprotocolsortreatedanduntreatedseeds.TheISPMmakesreerencetotheseedtestingprotocolsdevelopedbytheInternationalSeedHealthInitiativepublishedontheISFwebsite.UponadoptionothenewISPMwhichmightoccurin2016attheearliestitwilltaketimebeorecountrieshaveullyimplementedthisnewISPM.CountriesandtheirNPPOswillneedthesupportandinputromtheseedindustry.Forexamplereviewingothepestscurrentlyregulatedorseedsandremovalorequirementsorthosepestswhichdonotwarrantregulationwilltaketimeandlikelyagreatdealolobbying.ThereoreuponapprovalotheISPMtheseedindustryshouldnotexpectimmediatechangesbutnationalandinternationalseedassociationswillhavegreatsupportromthenewISPMintheireortstowardimprovedscience-basedandproportionalphytosanitaryrequirementsandintheireortstoremovetradebarriers.WHATARETHEBENEFITSOncethiseorthasbeencompletedtheseedindustrymightexpectewerunoundedrequirementsmoreharmonisedrequirementsorcommercialseedsandmoreadaptedrequirementsorsmallerquantitiesandseedswithspecifcpurposes.Thisisagreatsteporwardandaprescriptionorinnovation.TheseedindustrythroughtheInternationalSeedFederationhasbeenlobbyingformanyyearsforaphytosanitarystandardwhichwouldbettertakeintoaccountthespecicsofseedforplantingEUROPEAN-SEED.COMIEUROPEANSEEDI15