In early March 2025, the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) embarked on an important mission to Taiwan aimed at enhancing cooperation in plant variety protection, with orchids taking centre stage. Sergio Semon, Team Leader of CPVO's Quality Audit Service, represented the Agency and delivered a keynote presentation at the Asian Pacific Orchid Congress (APOC), highlighting how the EU's plant variety rights system fosters innovation in the orchid sector and protects breeders' intellectual property.
Beyond the congress, Mr Semon, together with a representative of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, conducted a series of strategic visits and high-level meetings to strengthen partnerships with Taiwanese authorities and orchid breeders. These included discussions with the Director General of Taiwan's agricultural authority about expanding cooperation and mutual recognition of DUS (Distinctness, Uniformity, and Stability) test results – the essential criteria for plant variety protection.
During his six-day visit, Mr Semon toured major orchid facilities including OX Orchids Farm, Famimei Orchids, and I-Hsin Biotechnology Company, where he gained insights into the latest breeding practices and the challenges growers face in protecting their varieties. Technical meetings with experts at Taiwan's Seed Improvement and Propagation Station and the Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research Center focused on aligning testing protocols and enhancing cooperation in important orchid species, as well as possible future agreements in certain tropical fruit crops.
Orchids have become increasingly significant within the EU's plant protection system. Since the mid-2000s, the CPVO has received over 2,150 orchid variety applications, with 820 currently under active protection. Phalaenopsis stands out as the most popular species with more than 1,900 applications, ranking third among all ornamental species protected under the EU system, behind only roses and chrysanthemums. While many protected varieties originate in Europe, a growing number come from Asia, demonstrating the global reach of the EU protection system.
Established in 1995, the Community Plant Variety Rights system provides unified intellectual property protection for new plant varieties across all 27 EU member states. Based on the 1991 UPOV Convention, it has become a global benchmark for plant breeders. The CPVO receives approximately 3,000 applications annually covering all plant species, with testing conducted in 23 examination offices throughout Europe. To date, over 10,700 DUS reports have been shared internationally, including 663 with Asian partners, supporting global cooperation.
The relationship between the CPVO and Taiwan is particularly strong, with an existing Memorandum of Understanding for mutual recognition of Phalaenopsis test results. During this mission, discussions explored extending this agreement to include Oncidium orchids, which would create new opportunities for breeders in both regions.
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As orchid breeding continues to evolve globally, the CPVO remains committed to ensuring effective plant variety protection across borders, providing breeders with a reliable framework to protect and commercialize their innovations throughout the European Union while fostering international collaboration.