Wageningen, The Netherlands
January 30, 2003

Wageningen UR's Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN), has become the first institution in Europe to be accredited for carrying out inspections of plant breeder's rights research on plant varieties. The accreditation applies to grasses, potato and a number of ornamental plants: spathiphyllum, rose, lily, gerbera, freesia, alstroemeria, anthurium and carnation.

The Accreditation Council assessed the protocols and the research according to the European standard EN45004 and awarded the STERIN certificate based upon the results. The certificate was presented on 29 January 2003 by Mr J.C. van der Poel, director of the Accreditation Council to Mr L. Visser, director of the CGN.

In order to obtain this accreditation, the CGN Plant Variety Research cluster formulated procedures for plant breeder's rights research in the varieties mentioned. These protocols and their implementation have been tested by the Accreditation Council for independency, competence of application and continuity of the organisation.

The CGN's accreditation confirms the Netherlands' leading position in the field of plant starting material. The CGN itself is expected to benefit considerably from the accreditation. National and European governments are increasingly likely to demand an accredited quality care system for carrying out plant breeder's rights research in plant varieties.

The CGN is aiming to extend the accreditation to other crops in the future.