b'A NEW CAPTAIN AT THE HELMINTERVIEW WITH THE PRESIDENT OF EUS COMMUNITY PLANT VARIETY OFFICEBY: MARCEL BRUINSE arlier this year, on the 1st of February 2022, Francesco Mattina took up his duties as President of the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO), the European Union (EU) agency, which is responsible for granting plant variety rights, after being appointed to this role by the Council of the European Union on 20 December 2021.Francesco Mattina, an Italian national, specialised in EU law and in Intellectual Property law, joined the CPVO in 2013 after gaining international experience in private law firms as a partner and in the EU public sector as a senior legal advisor in industrial property at the EU Agency for Intellectual Property (EUIPO). He joined the CPVO as Head of the Legal Unit in 2013 and was appointed Vice-President in 2017 until now. His new mandate has a duration of five years and can be renewed once. European Seed sat down with him to get his take on his role and the future of plant variety rights.EUROPEAN SEED (ES): FRANCESCO, CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING NOMINATED AS THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE CPVO. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT?FRANCESCO MATTINA (FM):Thank you. I feel extremely enthu-siastic and energetic about this new chapter of my professional life and the many opportunities and challenges that lie ahead of us. It has been a long process since I applied for this role in 2020. My nomination was validated by the Council of the European Union in December 2021, and I started as President of the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) in February 2022. But,Francesco Mattinaas you may know, the CPVO is not totally new to me. I joined the Office in 2013 as Head of the legal unit and I was the Vice-President since 2017.use of the MyPVR application system. He also paved the way for I feel honoured to be given the helm of the Community Plantmeaningful activities on the international stage.Variety Rights system. I also feel privileged to work with a teamI have a similar legal background as them but every change in of very experienced and passionate professionals who strive toleadership has a mixture of legacy and transformation. My vision deliver the best value for money for the breeders and who workfor the CPVO is to keep all things that work well and to improve hard to establish CPVOs reputation within the EU and alsoeverything that is necessary, always keeping good governance, beyond its borders.the EUs public interest, and the breeders needs in mind.The EU PVR system is often regarded as the most harmonisedThe world is changing very fast: the COVID crisis has accel-Plant Variety Rights system globally, and this is thanks to the workerated the digital transformation; the war in Ukraine shows us and knowledge of the CPVO experts in Angers, France, and of allthe importance of food security and food sovereignty; the climate the experts working for the entrusted national examination officescrisis shows us that the EU Green Deal policies are necessary, who carry out DUS examinations on behalf of the CPVO.and they are not just a political buzzword. People and knowledge are our biggest assets! I want that the CPVOs new Strategic Plan reflects these political realities and I also wish that plant innovation and plant ES: SOME BIG SHOES TO FILL, FROM BOTH BART ANDvariety rights are widely recognised for their contributions to MARTIN. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUREuropes prosperity. PREDECESSORS?FM:Both Bart Kiewiet and Martin Ekvad are world-classES: WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING DIFFERENTLY Intellectual Property lawyers specialised in Plant Variety pro- COMPARED TO PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS?tection, and I am grateful for what they have done for the CPVO.FM:I do not like to compare individuals against each other. We Bart Kiewiet established the Office and built-up an efficientare all facing responsibilities at different times, so it would be organisation that serves the breeders since the mid-1990s. Martinunfair to say that things should have been done differently in Ekvad opened up the Office to the digital age, broadening thethe past. 36IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'