Code of Conduct

A Code of Conduct on Intellectual Property Rights is unanimously adopted by ESA vegetable seed companies within the ESA Section Vegetables and Ornamentals, those seed companies that are direct members of ESA and that are active in all areas of the vegetable seed business, i.e. in breeding, seed production and marketing of seed of vegetable and/or ornamental species, form the SVOwic, the Working Group Integrated Companies. At present, this Working Group comprises 22 vegetable seed companies.

As from May 21^st, 2008 all of these 22 companies have signed the “ESA SVO Code of Conduct for vegetable seed companies”.

This Code of Conduct contains recommendations and best practices to prevent misappropriation of germplasm and infringements of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs).

Attached you find a copy of the Code of Conduct, it can also be found on the open part of the ESA website (www.euroseeds.org) in the folder “Position Papers” and also contains the list of companies having signed.