EU Parliament Advises No Patent On Conventional Breeding

By Catherine Saez for Intellectual Property Watch

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the patenting of essential biological processes.

The resolution, which is considered by civil society groups as a strong political signal in favour of the ban of patents on plants and animals, “calls on the EPO [European Patent Office] also to exclude from patenting products derived from conventional breeding and all conventional breeding methods.”

The resolution, adopted on 10 May, also calls on the Commission to look at “the potential implications of the patenting of breeding methods for plants and their impact on the breeding industry, agriculture, the food industry and food security.” Moreover, it asks the Commission and the European Union member states to “ensure that the EU will continue to apply a comprehensive breeders’ exemption in its patent law for plant and animal breeding.