UPOV Press Release No. 29

Geneva, March 24, 1998

ACCESSION OF BULGARIA AND THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NEW VARIETIES OF PLANTS

The Governments of Bulgaria and the Russian Federation deposited their instruments of accession to the 1991 Act of the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants on March 24, 1998. The deposit by Bulgaria and the Russian Federation of their instruments of accession brings to six the number of States which have adhered to the 1991 Act of the Convention. The 1991 Act, which effects important revisions to the UPOV Convention, comes into force one month after the adherence to it of five States. It will accordingly come into force on April 24, 1998. The existing 1978 Act of the Convention will be closed to further accessions after April 24, 1998, except for States which have started the accession process prior to that date.

When the accession by Bulgaria and the Russian Federation enters into force on April 24, 1998, the number of member States of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) will be 37. The member States are as follows:

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States of America, Ukraine, Uruguay.

UPOV is an intergovernmental organization which cooperates in administrative matters with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and has its headquarters in the WIPO building in Geneva, Switzerland.

The purpose of the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants is to recognize and to ensure an intellectual property right to the breeder of a new plant variety. The member States of UPOV grant such a right in accordance with the provisions of the Convention, under their national legislation. To be eligible for protection, varieties have to belong to one of the botanical genera or species on the national list of those eligible for protection (where there is a limited list), be distinct from commonly known varieties and be sufficiently homogeneous and stable. Protected varieties remain available for use as a source of variation for the development of other varieties.

[End]

Top of page