Genetic resources in agriculture: implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1467/94. Report

OBJECTIVE: to present the report from the Commission on the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1467/94 on the conservation, characterization, collection and utilization of genetic resources in agriculture. CONTENT: the aim of Regulation (EC) No 1467/94 is to coordinate, promote at Community level and support the work undertaken in the Member States to conserve, characterize, collect and utilize genetic resources in agriculture. It therefore makes provision for a first Community programme, adopted for a period of five years (1994-1999) with an estimated budget of ECU 20 million. This report contains the results of the review of the programme during its third year of implementation, together with an analysis of the situation, especially the financial aspects. With regard to the management of the programme, the Commission has formulated the following conclusions and recommendations: - expenditure for animal genetic resource projects should be increased: the amount available per call for proposals for the remaining two years (1998 and 1999) should be increased to +/- ECU 5 million, so that optimum use can be made of funds still available and funds can be balanced between plant genetic resource projects and more costly animal genetic resource projects; - special efforts should be made to complete the Commission "inventory of resources" so that it can be published on the World Wide Web; - efforts should be made with regard to support measures which have not as yet been activated. There is a particular need for: . seminars, workshops and technical conferences, especially on the sustainable utilization of genetic resources; . training, coupled with aid to the NGOs which manage genetic resources in their daily work.�