CIOPORA launches COVID-19 Crisis Resource Centre for Green Businesses

HAMBURG, Germany:  Responding to the deepening COVID-19 crisis in the green sector, the International Association of Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Horticultural Varieties CIOPORA has launched an open-access Crisis Resource Centre for horticultural businesses. Aimed at assisting breeders and other horticultural companies challenged by the ongoing crisis, the Centre includes financial relief and other regulatory information from over 12 countries as well as a feed with the COVID-19 related measures implemented by the Plant Variety Protection (PVP) offices worldwide. 

“Right from the beginning of the crisis, we have reached out to Plant Variety Protection offices and our extensive global lawyer network to try to collect and make available in one place crucial information for green companies navigating this crisis,” says CIOPORA Secretary General Dr Edgar Krieger. “We are impressed with the exemplary measures already being implemented worldwide. This is a great demonstration of goodwill towards green businesses, particularly in the heavily hit ornamental sector.”

CIOPORA COVID-19 Crisis Resource Center is being updated continually with resources collected globally and now includes a collection of links to the COVID-19 related webinars, analyses and regulatory updates in the areas of Intellectual Property protection, contracts & licensing, litigation, labor law, financial aid, taxation, data protection and more. The PVP office feed contains information obtained by CIOPORA directly from the competent authorities from China, Colombia, Mexico, the EU and USA, and is being extended every day.

“We invite all green businesses to utilize this tool that we consciously made available to everyone. Borders may be closed for now, but we will overcome this crisis as one world,” adds Dr Krieger.