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The amendments to the Law on Protection of Plant Varieties define the relations regarding the creation, use, protection, breeder’s right, invalid recognition and granting of a patent or termination of that right in Armenia more precisely and in accordance with the requirements of the International Convention on New Plant Varieties. The Deputy Minister of Economy Ashkhen Shirvanyan said this at June 26 extraordinary sitting of the Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Local Self-Government, Agriculture and Environment Protection.

The draft law on Making Amendments and Addenda to the law on Protection of Plant Varieties was debated in the Committee in the second reading.

The Deputy Minister assured that currently the protection of the breeders’ rights of new varieties of plants is not properly implemented in our country and varieties imported from other countries are bred for production purposes without the breeder’s permission.

The aim of the draft is to ensure the existence of a guarantee of the protection of the breeders’ rights of other countries, which will enable the introduction of competitive varieties created by foreign breeders in the republic, increasing productivity. Thanks to the legal protection of new varieties of plants, the scientific selection activity of the breeder will become profitable in the RA for the development of selection and seed breeding.

If the draft is adopted, favorable conditions will be created for the attraction of investments by foreign seed producing and nursery production companies.

The Deputy Minister mentioned that the draft law was approved at the meeting of the Advisory Committee of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPEV). Our country will become a member of the UPOV Advisory Committee one month after the adoption of the law.

Ashkhen Shirvanyan also stated that technical amendments were made during the period from the first to the second reading.

The deputy of the Civil Contract Faction Sergey Bagratyan inquired from the Deputy Minister whether there was a precedent when state bodies put pressure on foreign seed production companies.

“The state does not hinder the work of organizations that import foreign seeds in any way, on the contrary, it wants to create conditions for the latter to import important varieties for us,” the Deputy Minister said.

The draft law was approved at the Committee meeting.