Press-conference of the Accounts Chamber of Russia

On the 25th of October 2010 a press-conference addressing results of the audit of the Pavlovsk experiment station of VIR was held at the press-center of the Accounts Chamber of Russia. Mikhail Odintsov (auditor), Alexander Braverman (Director General of the RZHS) and Nadezhda Shkolkina (member of the Public Chamber of Russia) attended the conference.

The Accounts Chamber of Russia recommended allocating no less than 25 ha at the territory of the Pavlovsk station for preservation of the field genebank.

«…said area is twice as much as that recommended by the Ministry of economic development (!!! see comment) to preserve collection at disputed plots, it <expert group of the Ministry of economic development> finished its work in the middle of September. There is no discrepancy. They <auditors of the Accounts Chamber> analyzed conclusions of all experts and agreed upon the result announced during the press-conference. RZHS Director General Alexander Braverman agreed with conclusion of the Accounts Chamber. …A joint audit of the Accounts Chamber and Ministry of Agriculture revealed: at the plot of 71,4 ha twenty hectares, i.e. 30% of the whole area, are occupied with more than four thousand accessions of current, blue honeysuckle, strawberry and other crops. The second plot of half a hectare harbors a nursery of rare fodder crops. During yesterday`s press-conference at the Accounts Chamber it was said, the reason, why lands with collections have been set for housing construction, is absence of the juridical basis. According to the auditor Mikhail Odintsov the Russian legislation lacks the term "genetic collection", i.e. there are neither State authority nor regulation defining what is the effective use of such lands», - RUSSIAN NEWSPAPER (26/10/2010)

М.ODINTSOV:

«We state the presence of the genetic collection at disputed plots belonging to the Russian Academy of Agricultural Science and Russian Housing Development Foundation. The volume of the collection is limited by 20 ha, plus about 5 ha are needed for infrastructure. I.e. to preserve the collection, which is present, are needed 25 ha » - EKHO MOSKVY (25/10/2010)
«As far as the development of the collection <of plant genetic resources of VIR> is concerned, … decision addressing this issue should be taken on the State level, the Russian Academy of Agricultural Science should initiate that» -  RIA NOVOSTI (25/10/2010)

«In case of positive decision control and monitoring of the situation should by conducted directly by the Russian Government» - RBK (25.10.2010)

Auditor <М. Odintsov> points out «the Russian legislation lacks the term "genetic collection", as well as mechanism evaluating effective use of lands being in the ownership of scientific institutions» - RBK (25.10.2010)

N.SHKOLKINA:

«While we are saying, that the collection must be saved, we shouldn`t forget about its main element, about its development. Otherwise we will get a plot, where the collection, that we have now, will be degrading…The most important issue – preservation of the ecosystem round these genetic collections» - RIA NOVOSTI (25/10/2010)

«The Public Chamber is waiting for a rapid elaboration of the law regulating the status of plant genetic resources collections. At present the Russian Academy of Agricultural Science, moreover the committee on agrobiodiversity, are ready to take an initiative, are ready to unite, are ready to develop a law» - RIA NOVOSTI (25/10/2010)

«This collection is a strategic object comprising an initial, non-infected material…The main point today is to provide control, up to the regime access to such collections» - RIA NOVOSTI (26/10/2010)

А.BRAVERMAN:

«Both Russian and foreign architects have experience of building such collections…in the habitat of the human beings with all environmental precautions...if territory needed for further development of the collection let them do that …RZHS is not going to do anything but waiting for a decision regarding future of disputed plots at the Pavlovsk experiment station from the Russian President, whom audit materials from Accounts Chamber will be forwarded to» - RIA NOVOSTI (25/10/2010)
«The future of plots hangs on the decision of the President as well as  Government. RZHS, in its turn, will be acting in strict accordance with such decisions. It`s necessary to take all the measures for regeneration, preservation and development of the collection» - RUSSIAN NEWSPAPER (26/10/2010)