In order for the CPVO to respect its commitment to openness and to better address public access requests, including in case where the subject matter is a parental line or a hybrid, variety descriptions (VDs) of parental lines and hybrids are now publicly available on the CPVO website. The CPVO has checked over 5,000 VDs and, in respect to Article 88.3 of the Basic Regulation, confidential information has been taken out of these VDs before publication.
Link: Public search in CPVO applications and titles in force
Background:
Until today, variety descriptions of parental lines and hybrids were withheld from publication in order to limit the risk of divulging the parent formula of hybrid varieties in response to the wish of the breeders.
In 2017, on request of the European Seed Association (ESA), the CPVO carried out a survey to entrusted examination offices with the aim to understand and verify if certain information given in variety descriptions of parental lines could be revealed without jeopardizing the parent formula of hybrid varieties.
The outcome of the survey showed that there were no major issues in making such VDs publicly available and it was agreed with the Breeders’ associations and the technical experts that the publication of variety descriptions would not harm the breeders’ interests under the condition that confidential information, in accordance with Article 88.3, is withheld from inspection.
The CPVO committed to review each variety description before publication in order to make sure that no information revealing the parent formula of a hybrid would be made publicly available.
The CPVO has duly checked all existing agricultural species before today’s VDs release. The checking of VDs of vegetable species will be finalised soon, their publication will follow in due course. As regards upcoming variety descriptions of lines and hybrids, those will be made available immediately after granting, having undergone the procedure of the prior confidential information check.
For further information, please contact the CPVO - Anne Weitz: weitz [at] cpvo.europa.eu (weitz[at]cpvo[dot]europa[dot]eu)