Uruguay Strengthens European Seed Sector Engagement
Uruguay is working to strengthen its relationship with Europe’s seed sector, building on longstanding commercial ties to encourage greater cooperation and knowledge exchange. At the Euroseeds Congress 2026 in Valencia, Diego Risso, Executive Director of URUPOV, discussed why closer engagement with European seed organisations matters and what both regions can learn from each other. The initiative comes as Europe addresses regulatory changes and growing demands for advances in plant breeding.
Focus on New Techniques and Market Access
Risso highlighted several areas where greater cooperation could benefit breeders and seed companies, including new genomic techniques (NGTs) and international market opportunities. Uruguay’s experience offers lessons into how cooperation can support plant breeding and investment, particularly as European breeders face challenges related to access to new techniques and regulatory frameworks.
Intellectual Property Protection Experience
Uruguay has developed a collaborative approach to intellectual property protection in its seed sector. Risso discussed how collaboration among breeders, seed companies, distributors and farmers has helped strengthen royalty collection and encourage legal seed use. This experience is relevant for Europe as the continent addresses patent transparency and access to new genomic techniques.
European Seed Sector Challenges and Opportunities
Patent and NGT Policy Discussions
At Euroseeds Congress 2026, discussions revealed challenges facing European breeders, farmers and policymakers. The seed sector already has considerable experience with patent transparency, licensing and finding ways for breeders to work with protected techniques. However, a voluntary Code of Conduct will only earn credibility if it works for companies of different sizes, protects incentives to develop new varieties and offers practical solutions.
Regulatory Framework Concerns
Recent policy debates have focused on clarifying that classical breeding is excluded from patentability, addressing implementing regulations at the European Patent Office, and resolving the question of patentability in the Commission’s proposal on plants obtained from new genetic engineering. Approximately 1,500 patent applications on classical breeding were filed between 2009 and 2024, with around 40 patents granted in 2025.
| Cooperation Area | Uruguay Strength | European Interest | Mutual Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Genomic Techniques | Practical implementation | Regulatory framework | Knowledge exchange |
| IP Protection | Multi-stakeholder model | Patent transparency | Royalty collection |
| Market Access | Export experience | Supply chain resilience | Trade opportunities |
| Breeder Collaboration | Distributor partnerships | Development incentives | Legal seed use |
Implications for Agricultural Investment
Policy Coordination Requirements
Europe wants to reduce its dependence on imported plant proteins and build more resilient supply chains. However, breeders will not invest for the next fifteen years on the strength of an encouraging speech. Farmers need a viable economic reason to grow these crops, processors need sufficient volumes, and feed manufacturers need competitive, reliable supplies. Agriculture, climate, energy and environmental policy all influence this value chain, and coordination among different parts of the European Commission is necessary.
Long-Term Sector Development
The Uruguay-Europe cooperation initiative addresses practical challenges in plant breeding and development. Uruguay’s experience with collaboration among breeders, seed companies, distributors and farmers offers a model for strengthening royalty collection and encouraging legal seed use. As Europe continues to address regulatory changes, this partnership provides opportunities for both regions to learn from each other’s approaches to intellectual property protection, market access and support for new techniques.
Quellen
- Uruguay and Europe: Strengthening Seed Sector Cooperation and Innovation
- Uruguay Seed Sector Strengthens Ties with European Breeders – Europe
- Plant variety protection, NGTs and patents: Updates on political debates and cooperation amongst organic breeders, growers and NGOs | European Coordination Let's Liberate Diversity
- Euroseeds Congress 2026: Breeding, Patents and Policy
- Antonio Villarroel on Spain's Plant Breeding Future
