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EAAP Report to the FAO Commission on Animal Genetic Resources | ||
| Number 45 | |||
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A report on the activities of the European Association for Animal Production (EAAP) for the conservation and utilisation of animal genetic resources (AGR) was presented to the CGRFA for the first time at its Seventh Session (15-23 May 1997). A report was also presented at the Eighth Session (19-23 April 1999). A standing working group in charge of co-ordinating such activities has existed under the EAAP Study Commission of Animal Genetics since 1980. Following surveys conducted by this group on the situation of the breeds of farm animals in Europe, a computerised databank was established in 1988, in close collaboration with FAO, and has since been managed by the Veterinary University of Hanover in Germany. More generally, the EAAP has given support to the FAO's Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources and notably in 1995 by helping set up the European Network of National Focal Points (NFPs). The EAAP's AGR activities for the period 1999-2002 are reported below.
The NFP network has continued to meet in parallel with the EAAP Annual Meetings, thus benefiting from its logistical support. At the NFP meeting of The Hague in 2000, a European Regional Focal Point (ERFP) for AGR was established and entrusted to the French NFP, namely the Bureau des Ressources Génétiques (BRG) in Paris. This organisation is now officially in charge of preparing and managing the NFP annual meetings: the reports of the meetings held in Zurich (1999), The Hague (2000), and Budapest (2001) are available at BRG. EAAP contributes to the ERFP activities, by acting as a scientific steering committee, through its working group mentioned above, and also as an administrative and auditing body in charge of managing the trust fund created to support the ERFP.
EAAP has been engaged for many years in a close collaboration with the European Union (EU) on AGR matters, particularly with its General Directorate for Agriculture in the framework of the regulation on genetic resources in agriculture (regulation 1467/94). The question of the EU support of endangered breeds came again under scrutiny in the preparation of a new regulation on rural development (regulation 1257/99). The EAAP has been asked to prepare, in co-operation with the ERFP, the rules for application of this regulation and notably the criteria needed to rationalise the support of European breeds in danger of extinction. After a preparatory meeting with experts in economy and sociology, held in Brussels on 26 June 2001, and a lengthy process of technical exchanges with EU, the detailed rules for application were eventually published on 26 February 2002 (regulation 445/2002).
The EAAP working group has also continued to promote its breeds database in Hanover as a regional database for the whole of Europe, in close collaboration with the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS) of FAO. In 1999 FAO gave its agreement for putting the DAD-IS software in the public domain, under an Open Source Model. On such a basis, EAAP prepared with FAO and ERFP a proposal for a European Farm Animal Biodiversity Information System (EFABIS). This proposal received the support of EU in April 2002, in the framework of the research infrastructures of the Quality of Life programme. Consequently, concerted activities of FAO and EAAP will henceforth be pursued with the official agreement and support of EU within this programme.
L. Ollivier, Chairman
EAAP Working Group on Animal Genetic Resources
Jouy-en-Josas, 11 June 2002
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