EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 49 versities. R&D+I investment is the key for breeding new plant varieties adapted to our territory and for providing value to the whole food chain. b.  The PUBLICISING AND DEFENCE of the value of plant breeding and new technologies in agriculture. As well as the PUBLICISING of the key importance of seeds as the origin of the food chain to SOCIETY IN GENERAL. The improvement of varieties contributes to creating higher-quality, long lasting and safer food, also increas- ing the offer in terms of quality, quantity, and seasonal availability. c.  The DEFENCE OF FARMERS and their right to get certi- fied seeds adapted to their local needs, and to have guar- antees of transparency and traceability on this market. d.  The DEFENCE OF CONSUMERS and their right to have a variety of safe, high-quality foods during every season of the year. OUR CHALLENGES Plant variety protection on seeds and plants - plant breeders need strong and effective intellectual property protection (IP), essen- tial to meet the challenges mankind has to face. Plant breeding requires substantial, long-term and high-risk investments, and IP ensures an acceptable return on research investment. This is a prerequisite to encourage further research efforts and the motor for further innovation. Since 2014, GESLIVE (the Spanish acronym for ‘Gestion de Licencias Vegetales’) is a subsidiary of ANOVE and its main role is management, protection and defence of Plant Variety Rights (PVR). This involves legal assistance, licenses management, inspection activities and enforcement of PVR. The access to plant genetic resources is a key issue for our sector; the legislation itself is quite complex and imposes new obligations on users. The EU regulation implementing the Nagoya Protocol should consider the specific situation of plant breed- ing and existing systems on access and benefit sharing as the International Treaty of the FAO have to be enforced. New plant breeding techniques require political deci- sions based on scientific criteria instead of ideological reasons. Disproportionate regulation of these new techniques will leave them out of the tools used in plant breeding in the nearest future in Europe, which will cause great damage in the European seed industry. BIOTECHNOLOGY With almost 20 years of experience growing GM maize varieties, Spain continues to lead the production of Bt maize in Europe. The adoption of these varieties has been increased in recent years, due to pest pressure by the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) and by the stalk borers (Sesamia spp.), being a key tool for the control of these insects by the farmer. Partnerships among ANOVE members on education pro- grammes, in addition to farmers’ commitment to good agri- cultural practices implementation, have been key elements to Spain’s successful GM maize production, without restrictive and disproportionate regulations. As the new EU regulatory framework Directive 2009/128/ EC requires the implementation of integrated pest management principles in maize production, GM maize cultivation in Spain demonstrates sustainable maize production in areas affected by corn borers, and has proved to be an excellent tool for farmers in those areas. http://web.anove.es/ ROYALTY COLLECTION IN SPAIN Licence management and royalty collection is organized in Spain through GESLIVE. Founded in 1996 following the same model in place in other countries (SICASOV in France, STV in Germany, BSPB in UK), GESLIVE since 2014 has become the IP subsidiary of ANOVE, which holds its whole share capital. GESLIVE collects royalties from licences to produce and market material of protected plant varieties, about 1,300 varieties and 3,300 licences during 2016. Share of various crops as processed by GESLIVE Regarding to Farm Saved Seed (FSS), the scheme for the col- lection of remuneration on FSS use of protected varieties was set- tled in 2011 and is based on two agreements at the national level: •  Organizations representing plant breeders (ANOVE- GESLIVE) and agro-cooperatives (AGRI-FOOD COOPERATIVES) •  ANOVE-GESLIVE with seed producers and processors (ACCOE, APROSE, SEMICAN, ACMLL). There are also private contracts settled with all those indi- vidual seed processors that want to achieve with GESLIVE a sim- ilar agreement as these organizations. The aim of the agreements is to establish terms and conditions under which the cooperatives and processors will provide GESLIVE (representing the breed- ers) with relevant information regarding the processing of FSS under the farmers’ exception and the terms for collection of FSS fees from farmers. GESLIVE administers, supervises the scheme, and collects the FSS royalties on behalf of the right holders. Another important part of the GESLIVE activities refers to the enforcement of PVR and defence of its members’ IP rights against infringements (“brown bags”, illegal seeds, etc.). On this field, GESLIVE usually acts on behalf of its members, assuming inspection roles, legal advice and taking legal actions in case of infringements.