Europe
November 11, 2015

Biotechnology is playing an increasingly important role in a broad range of industries and the protection of biotechnological inventions will certainly be of fundamental importance for the Union’s industrial development. Biotechnological research and development require stable rules on protection of intellectual property.

Recently some plant breeders have raised concerns with respect to patents on certain plant-related inventions and are advocating a tailored revision of Directive 98/44/EC on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions (the Directive).

As outlined in the position paper below, EuropaBio strongly believes that there are faster and more reliable ways of responding to plant breeders’ concerns than revising the Directive. Moreover, it seems politically and legally impossible to carry out a tailored revision of the Directive without jeopardizing investment and growth for the entire sector including healthcare and industrial biotechnology.

Read the full position: EuropaBio Position Paper on the Biotech Patent Directive and the Protection of Plant-related Biotechnological Inventions

Further relevant documents:

1. Why Directive 98/44/EC on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions is the right tool to foster innovation in the EU
2. Plant Breeders’ Rights - Why there is a better and faster way than opening the Biotech Patent Directive