European Community Plant Variety Office

The European Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) is an organization that protects new plant varieties in Europe. It acts like a patent office for plants, ensuring breeders' rights are respected. When a new variety is developed, the CPVO assesses its uniqueness, uniformity, and stability before granting it official protection. This encourages innovation in agriculture by rewarding breeders for their work, allowing them to control the use and sale of their varieties. Ultimately, the CPVO helps maintain biodiversity and supports the development of new plants for food, ornamental use, and other purposes across Europe.