b"BRANISLAVA POPOV JOINS EUROSEEDS AS TECHNICAL MANAGER FOR VARIETY REGISTRATION & SEED MARKETINGPOPOV COMBINES BREEDING AND DUS EXPERIENCE TO HARMONIZE EU TESTING, ADVANCE DIGITAL CERTIFICATION, AND BOOST MARKET ACCESS.SEED WORLD EUROPE (SWE): BRANISLAVA, IN TERMS OF REGULATORY EXPERTISE, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO NAVIGATE AND INFLUENCE EU VARIETY REGISTRATION PROCESSES, INCLUDING DUS AND VCU TESTING PROTOCOLS, TO BENEFIT EUROSEEDS MEMBERS?BRANISLAVA POPOV (BP): My approach would focus on a proactive engagement, evidence-based advocacy, and close coordination with members and authorities. Its important to identify bottlenecks and inconsistencies in current national and EU-level procedures. This input is essential for targeting advocacy efforts where they can have the most impact, whether it's promoting harmonised testing protocols or reducing redundancies in multicountry trials. Additionally, I would advocate for innovation in DUS and VCUs testing, including the integration of digital tools, greater acceptance of molecular tech-niques for distinctness testing (where appropriate) and harmonisation of data requirements across Member States and Examination Offices.SWE: LETS SWITCH TO MARKET ACCESS. WHAT STRATEGIES WILL YOU IMPLEMENT TO SUPPORT EUROSEEDS IN ADDRESSING CHALLENGES RELATED TO SEED MARKETING AND CERTIFICATION STANDARDS ACROSS DIFFERENT EU MEMBER STATES?BP: Looking to challenges of seed marketing and certification across different EU Member States, I would focus on three key strategies: harmonisation of standards and procedural differences in national implementation of EU seed marketing directives; promotion of digital tools on several key points (e-la-belling, certification systems, etc.), and stakeholder engagement supported through knowledge- sharing opportunities such as committee, section and working group meetings.SWE: WHAT DREW YOU TO THE WORLD OF SEEDS AND VARIETY REGISTRATION, AND WHAT MAKES THIS AREA OF WORK PARTICULARLY REWARDING OR FASCINATING FOR YOU?BP: My journey into the world of seeds and variety registration began on my plant breeder role and it was shaped during my time as a DUS officer at the Examination Office Naktuinbouw in the Netherlands. Working in variety registration gave me a unique perspective on how plant breeding, regulatory frameworks, and market needs intersect. Its a space where science meets policy and practice, and I enjoyed the challenge of aligning these dimensions. What con-tinues to inspire me is the idea that every approved variety starts with a careful, science-based process, and that behind each seed is a story of innovation, collabora-tion, and potential. Being part of that process, helping to shape it and improve it, is not just technically interesting, but also deeply meaningful. Editors Note: This is an abbreviated version. For the full article, please check our website: www.seedworld.com/europe/SEPTEMBER 2025|SEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPEISEED WORLD EUROPE I 29"