European Union
April 23, 2015
As the EU agency responsible for protecting EU IP plant variety rights, the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) is no stranger to standing up for intellectual property rights (IPR).
Celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, the CPVO monitors and implements the largest system of plant IPR in the world. Martin Ekvad, President of the CPVO, discusses the importance of IPR and how EU IP benefits our citizens.
“World IP Day is a fantastic opportunity to create awareness of the role the IP system has played and continues to play in improving our everyday lives.”
“The importance of IP to the functioning of the EU cannot be over stated: €4.7 trillion (39%) of the total annual economic activity of the EU is generated by IPR-intensive industries, while one in three (35%) of all EU jobs rely on IPR intensive industries.”
“IPR defends the integrity and competitiveness of the EU market by protecting consumers from counterfeit or pirated goods. Our IP laws also encourage innovation and creativeness among innovators – resulting in greater choice and better products for consumers.”
“EU IP laws safeguard increased production of safe affordable food, goods and products across all spectrums from medical devices to plants and flowers.”
“The CPVO protects and implements EU IP law in the agricultural, vegetable, ornamental and fruit sectors. To date, advancement in crop yields have allowed farmers to consistently produce more with less! For example, UPOV estimate that improved varieties have accounted for more than 50% of overall yield increases for important crops in Europe.”
“Plant breeding (or developing new better plants) requires a substantial time (up to 15 years) and monetary investment. Without the potential revenue stream of royalties, there would be no incentive for breeders to develop new and improved varieties.”
“So stand up for World IP Day and stand up for a better more prosperous Europe.”
Additional information:
What do plant royalties cost in reality?
The international Community of Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Ornamental and Fruit Varieties (CIOPORA) estimates that breeders’ royalties vary from 0.33% or 1.5% of the total product cost of an apple.
he European Seed Association (ESA) estimates that the EU seed market was worth €7bn in 2014, employing approximately 52,000 people.
Approximately half of EU industries are IPR intensive.
One in three of all EU jobs – 35% of all jobs – rely on IPR intensive industries.
IPR-intensive industries account for 90% of the EU's trade with the rest of the world.
The above IPR figures are derived from the 2013 study of the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights and the European Patent Office, the first EU-wide study on the overall contribution made by intellectual property intensive industries to the EU economy.
The study is available via the following link:
http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/intellectual-property/studies/index_en.htm
The above ESA figures are from the ESA EU Seed Market Facts & Figures 2014 report:
http://www.euroseeds.org/system/files/publications/files/esa_12.0485.7_0.pdf
Dr. Rolf Jördens, Vice Secretary-General of Union internationale pour la protection des obtentions végétales (UPOV) in 2010, article on the “Benefits of Plant Variety Protection.”
http://www.wipo.int/wipo_magazine/en/2010/03/article_0007.html
Topics
Species
