10 million euro for a new EU Programme to promote biological and genetic diversity

Today, the European Commission has adopted a proposal for a Council Regulation for a second EU programme for the conservation, characterisation, collection and use of genetic resources in agriculture. The new programme, covering the period 2004-2006, will promote genetic diversity and the exchange of information including close co-ordination between Member States and between the Member States and the European Commission for the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources in agriculture. It will also facilitate co-ordination in the field of international undertakings on genetic resources. The budget allocated to this programme amounts to €10 million. When the genetic diversity of crops and breeds diminishes and genes are lost, this can lead to a higher susceptibility to diseases and stress factors. It can also lead to a loss of genes which allow the crop or breed to adapt itself to specific local growth conditions. A sustainable, low input agriculture needs crops and breeds with a capacity to adapt themselves to local climatic and soil conditions, with variation in resistances and tolerances against pests. So, sustainable agriculture needs a highly diverse gene pool and if agriculture is to produce high added value produce, it needs genes with good organoleptic characteristics and optimal transformation quality. For these reasons it is important to preserve genetic resources in agriculture.