b'LETS TALK PERCENTAGES!A considerable percentage of agricultural landwhich is consid-ered sensitive areasis used for seed production, plant breeding and variety testing. As shown in the examples below, plant breed-ing and seed production take place in small but strategic locations. Seeds are the starting point of the whole agricultural chain and secure food production. Breeding activities enable the development of better adjusted varieties that potentially require less inputs, for example: through improved pathogen resistance. Furthermore, to provide the highest quality and healthiest seeds to the farmer, pre-basic seed must be protected against infection by diseases trans-mitted through seeds. Consequently, innovative plant breeding and professional seed production can significantly reduce the amount of plant protection products to be applied during agricultural pro-duction. The examples below are indicative of the impact of the restric-tions in France and Germany. In France, around 325.000 ha of seed production are located in sensitive areas. This translates to 85 per cent of French seed produc-tion areas, yet only 1,5 per cent of the total sensitive area. In Germany, on average, approximately 36 per cent of all breeding nursery area in the country will be affected. The affected breeding nursery area that would need an exemption from a plant protection product ban would translate to 0.3 per cent of the total agronomic area of Germany.Approximately 90.000 ha of seed production/multiplication area would be affected in Germany and would need an exemption from the plant protection products (PPP) ban. This translates to 0.8 per cent of the agronomic area in Germany.In total, breeding nurseries and seed production/multiplica-tion would need an exemption on only 1.1 per cent of the total agro-nomic area in Germany. Use of PPPs on these areas will effectively enable a reduction in the need for PPP on the remaining 98.9 per cent of the agronomic area in Germany through breeding progress. ment issued informally to facilitate negotiations) on the definition Additionally, the impact on seed production and plant breedingand scope of provisions on sensitive areas in the SUR proposal. in the different crops is expected to be the following throughoutThe non-paper foresees the use of biocontrol, low-risk, and other different EU Member States: approved substances, as well as plant protection products allowed oSeed potato production will be impacted up to 60 per cent inin organic agriculture, while disallowing the use of emergency different Member States. authorisations of pesticides containing non-approved substances oVegetable seed production is expected to be impacted heavily,or the use of more hazardous pesticides that are not used in organic meaning between 40-90 per cent in some cases.agriculture. Though the EC is optimistic about the success of this oCereal seed production is expected to be impacted up to 40amended proposal as presented in the non-paper, it will still have per cent in some cases.a severe impact on the seed sector. The plant protection products o Maize seed production and plant breeding are expected to bethat are being used for breeding and seed multiplication purposesimpacted up to almost 50 per cent in different EU Memberare based on products of biological origin, conventional chemistry, States. and candidates for substitution. These products cannot easily be replaced for many reasons, including the long registration process FORCED CLOSURE OF SEED STATIONS of new products.If the EC proposal on sensitive areas is adopted, a number of breed-ing stations will be forced to terminate their breeding activities,EXEMPTION NEEDEDwhile others will need to move their breeding work outside theBreeding activities and seed production take place in a very small EU, which will severely impact the quality of varieties and geneticsproportion of agricultural area. Progress in breeding can contrib-developed for the EU market. ute to the European Commissions Green Deal and Farm-to-Fork Additionally, seed production is expected to be moved outsideobjectives for pesticide reduction, including through new varieties the EU. This will have a strong economic impact for the Europeanthat require less PPP due to increased resistance to pests and path-seed business and a negative impact on the businesses of the small- ogens. However, breeding will need to have a dedicated exemption holder farmers and agricultural production partners, including fewerfor PPP use to achieve this. An exemption would only be necessary choices of varieties and possibly an impact on seed availability. for a very small percentage of agricultural land/sensitive areas but Following the reactions of Member States and stakeholders,would have a major impact on breeders ability to continue to meet the European Commission published a non-paper (a session docu- the needs of the industry.24ISEED WORLD EUROPEIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'