b' population growth and demographic developments based official field inspection. Moreover, experience gainedbiodiversity loss during the COVID-19 pandemic showed that overall the seedenvironmental degradation and systems worked well, however, it could be evaluated whether tourbanisationrural populations moving to cities.introduce a possibility for more flexible processes during times But some concerns have clearly grown in importance: of crisis. climate change which requires action now, In order to answer the request of the Member States to the the need to enhance sustainability of agri-food produc- Commission to submit a study on the Unions options to consol-tion taking into account the new political strategies in theidate and update the existing legislation on the production and Green Deal and Farm to Fork, as well as United Nationsmarketing of plant reproductive material (Council Decision (EU) sustainable development goalsall priorities for the2019/1905), the Commission has launched an external data gath-Commission, ering exercise with the aim to update and complement, as needed, continued globalisation taking place, however, due to the the evaluation from 2008 COVID-19 crisis, signs of protectionism have emergedis the points of the existing impact assessment of 2010there an increased need for self-sufficiency?t he baseline, meaning the description of the current seed At the same time, it is important to note that in answering theseand breeding sector. We also need a good baseline of the challenges we have better and continually developing tools thansector, including an updated description, markets and ever before, supporting innovation, such as:technical innovations. bio-molecular techniques On the basis of this, the study will identify the availablebig data and bio-informatics options to update the seed legislation. digitalisation Moreover, the study focuses on specific issues that wererobotics not addressed at the time in depth such as marketing to finalartificial intelligence. consumers/home gardeners, conservation/amateur varieties, sustainability value for cultivation and use (VCU) criteria used WHY ARE MEMBER STATES PUSHING NOW TOin variety testing by some Member States (level playing field, AMEND THE SEED LEGISLATION?climate change impacts?), temporary experiments on innovative In our experiences with the Member Statesbut also knowl- approaches, official supervision on all categories, EU equiva-edge gained in the implementation and discussions at interna- lence, flexibility for variety testing (e.g. one year by breeders) tional standard setting levelall show there are a number ofetc. We like to know whether new issues or problems emerged practical implementation problems with the outdated legislationand how can the new political objectives be implemented. It is of dating partly back to 60s and these will continue if the legisla- utmost importance that the sector highlights any issues emerged tion is not amended. since the evaluation in 2007-2008. For example, the list of species forming the scope of some marketing directives cannot be amended (e.g. it was not possi- NEXT STEPSble to include buckwheat); the restrictive rules on varietal mix- The data gathering exercise will be finalised in January 2021, the tures do not allow to follow international developments; newstudy will be submitted to the Council in April 2021, and subse-OECD Seed Schemes rules on bio-molecular techniques shouldquently presented to the EP (COM Agri). If appropriate in view of normally be introduced in the basic legislation; complicatedthe outcomes of the study, the Commission will start the process procedures are applied causing administrative burden,of carrying out an impact assessment, on which the Commission e.g., temporary supply difficulties; the EU equiva- will base its targeted amendment of the legislation on seeds. lence requests from third countries. To continue the list, new innovative approaches following technical and scientific developments cannot be introduced. The results of temporary experiments, in which new alternative rules are tested, cannot be applied after the maxi-mum time period of seven years. Temporary experiments are currently running or just ended on field inspection under official supervision, true potato seeds, popula-tions/heterogeneous material and risk EUROPEAN-SEED.COMIEUROPEAN SEED I 7'