Position Paper on the Motion to Amend the Biotech Patent Directive Finalised

As reported in the February newsletter (www.biodeutschland.org/display-news-entry/items/experts-from-the-working-group-on-licences-and-technical-contracts-discuss-biotech-patent-law.html), BIO Deutschland’s Working Group on Licences and Technical Contracts has produced a position paper on the Bundestag’s interparty motion to amend the EU directive on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions.

The parliamentary groups in the Bundestag are calling on European legislators to ensure that no patents are issued for conventionally bred livestock and plants under the biotech patent directive. BIO Deutschland’s experts are lobbying for no amendment to be made to the directive, but rather for the necessary trust to be placed in the judiciary, which has recently shown that it is capable of providing clarity and consistency on passages requiring interpretation. Renegotiating the biotech patent directive would trigger a lengthy Europe-wide legislative process involving many different national interests. This type of process would automatically lead to a lack of legal certainty among companies, research institutes, technology transfer organisations and the entire biotech sector. Moreover, this would occur during a phase in which the biotech parent directive, which was implemented around ten years ago, is now becoming clearer and providing legal certainty through jurisdiction.

The position paper will shortly be published at www.biodeutschland.org/positionspapiere.html. Please note that the text is only available in German.