Examination of Distinctness, Uniformity, and Stability (DUS Testing) – National Protocol Approval

The technical examination of the distinctness, uniformity, and stability (DUS testing) of a candidate plant variety is always carried out by an entrusted examination office. A list of the European entrusted examination offices is available on the website of the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO).

DUS testing of a candidate plant variety is conducted using either CPVO protocols or UPOV guidelines (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants). If these guidelines are not available, an approved national protocol is used instead.

Examination offices wishing to submit an application to the IPObel to have their protocol approved as a national protocol, can submit the following documents:

• a completed application form in Dutch (DOC, 59 KB) - application form in French (DOC, 59.5 KB));
• the corresponding checklist
  • checklist for a national protocol in Dutch (DOCX, 46.68 KB) - checklist for a national protocol in French (DOCX, 31.28 KB);
  • checklist for a simplified standard protocol in Dutch (DOCX, 48.35 KB) - checklist for a simplified standard protocol in French (DOCX, 31.43 KB).

The application for the approval of a protocol as a national protocol must be submitted in person, by post or by fax to the IPObel.

Upon review of the provided information, the IPObel will either approve or reject the application.

Protocols approved as a national protocol will be published on this website.

If the examination office makes any changes to an already approved national protocol, it is mandatory to resubmit the application for approval as a national protocol before the updated protocol can be adopted as a national protocol.