Vietnam and the European Union (EU) will continue to cooperate to raise capacity in protecting plant variety rights in Vietnam.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed between the EU Community Plant Variety Office and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Plant Variety Protection Office in Hanoi on May 19.
Accordingly, the two sides will provide each other with results of technical examination of varieties that are subject to application for Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) and make the best use of human resources of each side.
Ambassador Sean Doyle, Head of the EU Delegation in Vietnam, underlined that Intellectual Property Rights, including Plant Variety Rights are of importance, particularly for a country like Vietnam with a strong agricultural sector and many kinds of precious varieties of plants.
He added that PBR encourages breeding and the introduction of new plant varieties, thus producing benefits for the society.
“With this agreement, we expect the cooperation in this field between Vietnam and the EU to become even stronger,” Doyle said.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Bui Ba Bong affirmed that the agreement would help Vietnam comply fully with its obligation under the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (CPOV), to be achieved in 2016 – to ensure protection for varieties of all plant species.
At present, both Vietnam and the EU are members of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, which was established in 1961 by CPOV./.