Draft law on plant genetic resources

On the 26th of October 2010 a deputy head of the State Duma`s committee on science and scientific technologies IGOR IGOSHIN introduced a draft law determining the status of plant genetic resources collections.

Earlier the Public Chamber of Russia reported, it`s waiting for a rapid adoption of the law which could calm down the dispute round the Pavlovsk experiment station harboring a unique fruit and berry collection assembled by N.I. Vavilov.

NOTE: On the 28th of September 2010 a round table “Pavlovsk experiment station: problems of city development and preservation of nature`s complexes” took place at the Institute of Contemporary Development. The «round table» was organized on the initiative of the member of the Public Chamber, President of the National Agency for town-house and cottage construction (NAMIX) Elena Nikolaeva with participation of the member of the Public Chamber, head of the department at the Academy of National Economy Vyacheslav Glazychev, Director of the Institution under the Russian Academy of Sciences, V.L. Komarov Botanical Institute Vasily Yarmishko as well as representatives of the RZHS and non-government organization «Sel`skaya Rossia». As a result of the «round table», participants concluded that there is a need for adoption of a Federal Program on revealing and preservation of Genetic resources.

"The draft law with changes to the article 100 of the Land Code of Russia (in part referring to the most valuable plots occupied by plant collections used for scientific purposes) is registered and forwarded to the Chairman of the State Duma", - said in the portal of the State Duma.

Meanwhile, as Nadezhda Shkolkina, the member of the Public Chamber, reported on Tuesday to RIA NOVOSTI, the Public Chamber proposes not only to adopt a law on status and preservation of genetic collection but also to promote assigning the status “National Heritage” to Vavilov`s collection.

As auditors of the Accounts Chamber reported on Monday the reason of the disputed situation round the Pavlovsk experiment station is its illegality from the juridical point of view. The Russian legislation lacks the term "genetic collection", i.e. there are neither State authority nor regulation determining the status of such sets and regulating their collecting, preservation, study and effective use of cultivated plant genetic resources.

NOTE: Land Code of Russia, article 100, paragraph 4, item 1

“…the most valuable lands are lands within which there are natural sites as well as cultural heritage sites of special scientific, historical and cultural value (typical or rare landscapes, cultural landscapes, communities of plant and animal organisms, rare geological formations, lands to be used for activities of research organizations”

According to RIA NOVOSTI