AEGIS is the ECPGR initiative aiming to efficiently conserve and provide access to unique germplasm in Europe through the establishment of the European Collection. European governments can become AEGIS members and contribute to the decentralized European Collection by identifying genetically unique accessions, labeling them as part of AEGIS, conserving them at agreed quality standards in the Associate Member genebank/institutions and making them available in accordance with the terms and conditions (SMTA) set out by the FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
A genebank "peer review" proof of concept was endorsed at the workshop "Assessing current practices and procedures to strengthen AEGIS" held 10-12 December 2018 in San Fernando de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
The concept consists of visiting and reviewing each other’s genebanks as a way of improving the quality in genebanks. After each visit a report is written with observations and recommendations.
The first cycle of mutual visits involving three genebanks took place early 2019.
The resulting reports are available here
The ECPGR Workshop “Assessing current practices and procedures to strengthen AEGIS” was held 10-12 December 2018 at Centro Nacional de Capacitación Agraria (CENCA), San Fernando de Henares, Madrid.
New AEGIS accessions from Italy
With 226 new accessions from Italy, the European Collection now holds 70,413 accessions
New AEGIS accessions from Germany
With 10,502 new accessions from Germany, the European Collection now holds 70,186 accessions
A new AEGIS article has been published
The following article has been published:
van Hintum, T., Engels, JMM., Maggioni, L. 2021. AEGIS, the Virtual European Genebank: Why It Is Such a Good…