b'SEVERE IMPACT FOR SEED SECTORNevertheless, the seed sector is expected to be severely impacted by this SUR proposal, since a significant amount of seed production in The seed sector is expected tothe EU, as well as plant breeding activities, occurs in sensitive areas. be severely impacted by this SURTo produce clean and healthy seeds and plant breeding, farmers need access to plant protection products that have a high level of proposal, since a significant amountpest/ disease control. Seed breeders and seed companies choose production areas for of seed production in the EU, asa number of factors important for breeding and seed production, well as plant breeding activities,incuding a specific and unique combination of soil and climatic conditions, isolation from other producers, as well as geographic occurs in sensitive areas. properties such as access to water. The soil must be fertile, and the climate representative of the environment in the targeted farming - Amalia Kafka area. The unique combination of these factors is not easily found and often not found at all elsewhere.Additionally, seed production areas are often located around seed companies sitesi.e., breeding stations, research centres, seed production sites, etc.which cannot be moved in a short timeframe and not without severe economic consequences for com-panies and related jobs. Seed companies have been established in those areas historically and in association with specialized, techni-cally qualified multiplier farmers. SENSITIVE AREASOne may ask why breeders activities, such as breeding nurseries, stations, seed multiplication, etc., are often located in sensitive areas? As more and more areas are being considered sensitive areas, seed companies and breeding sites are often already located in sen-sitive areas, not because they were moved there intentionally but because they have been in those places for years before the areas were deemed sensitive. In fact, sensitive areas often naturally match ideal seed-breed-ing and seed-production areas. It is necessary then to keep operating within these areas in order to keep the capacity of breeding and seed production. Especially for seed production and breeding nurseries, distance criteria need to be considered in order to avoid mixing and/or purity contamination of seed lots by unwanted cross-pollination of plant varieties or breeding lines. In some areas, there is high grade seed production and it is not possible to find new areas with sufficient distance to existing seed production lots. For example, for spinach seed production in Denmark, no new, sufficiently isolated areas for production are available to be found.Seed companies perform strict external field inspections to get phytosanitary certificates. Consequently, they need to make sure there is no failure in terms of seed health. Therefore, control of diseases is necessary, and the use of pesticides must be possible when needed.Regulation also often requires seed production areas to be free from pests and diseases and commercial seed to be free from weed seeds. For example, seed potato production is mainly confined to windy coastal areas of Europe, and such areas are now consid-ered sensitive areas. In these areas, there is low aphid pressure and therefore less chance of virus transmission. Consequently, there is a higher chance to produce healthy starter material. In addition, variety testing locations are selected to be as representative as pos-sible compared to farmers activities. These locations need be in Amalia Kafka is Technical Manager Sustainable Seed same areas, as otherwise breeders cannot meet their customers and Technologies at Euroseeds consumers needs. 22ISEED WORLD EUROPEIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'