Tunisia

PVP Office Contact Information

Ministère d’Agriculture, des Ressources Hydraulique et de la Pèche
Direction Générale de la Santé Végétale et du Contrôle des Intrants Agricoles (DGSVCIA).
Service d'Evaluation, d’Homologation et de Protection des Obtentions Végétales (PVP Office).
30, rue Alain Savary
1002 Tunis
TUNISIA

Tel. (216 71) 788979 / 800419
Fax. (216 71) 784419
E-mail: bo.dgpcqpa@iresa.agrinet.tn

Specific requirements in relation to UPOV PRISMA
Are there any specific requirements in relation to UPOV PRISMA that are not required when filing an application directly to the PVP Office?

Applications must be submitted in paper format (Pdf document generated after submission of application data in UPOV PRISMA in addition to the attachments available in UPOV PRISMA).

Even if the application is made electronically via UPOV PRISMA, the PDF generated by UPOV PRISMA must be printed and submitted in hard copy with the other attachments available in UPOV PRISMA, directly to the Directorate General for Plant Health and the Control of Agricultural Inputs [Direction Générale de la Santé Végétale et du Contrôle des IntrantsAgricoles] (DGSVCIA).

Application data
Will I receive confirmation that my application data has been received successfully?

Yes, the applicant or the authorized local representative will receive confirmation by mail.

Plant Material
When applicable, where should I send the plant material?
  • In cases of an existing DUS report for the variety, it is not necessary to send plant material.
  • In cases where a DUS test is required in Tunisia, the applicant or the authorized local representative will receive details on the procedure for providing plant material.
Payment
How and when do I pay the PVP application fee?

Details about payment can be provided by the PVP Office.

In Tunisia, payment of related costs for PBR application should be done to a fund known as the “competition fund” (“fond de concours” in French), which is dedicated to plant variety protection and financed by the fees paid by applicants to ensure that monitoring and examination are carried out.

Payment must be made to the finance office under the heading “Plant Protection Account” 61-132

Will I receive confirmation that the payment has been received?

The applicant will receive confirmation via the applicant or authorized local representative in Tunisia.

Agent / Local Representative
Do I need an agent or local representative in the country, if I am not a resident?

In general, the applicant is not required to use an agent/ local representative to submit an application; it could be done personally, however it is recommended to have a representative to facilitate the work needed on site (like the payment). The services of an appropriate authorized representative with good knowledge of all details of the plant variety protection procedure may be used to save time. A list of recognized intellectual property authorized agent/ representatives is available. Please contact the PVP Office if necessary.

UPOV PRISMA Note: Agents that have already created an AGENT Account in UPOV PRISMA can indicate the territories in which they operate. Those agents will appear in a list. In cases where agents need to be accredited by the PVP Office, the agents will only be added to the list of agents available in UPOV PRISMA after the PVP Office has confirmed that the necessary accreditations have been given.
Filing Date
What is considered to be the filing date? (Note: For instance, are there any documents that the applicant must submit to the PVP offices in addition to the application form in PRISMA and the documents required in the application form in PRISMA. If so, please indicate such documents. Are there any documents that the applicant must send in paper format to the PVP Office. If so, please indicate such documents.)

The filing date is considered to be when the application is completed and submitted in paper format to the PVP Office.

UPOV PRISMA Disclaimer: The authority entrusted with the task of granting breeders’ rights (PBR authority) retains full responsibility in relation to the requirements concerning the filing date of applications in accordance with the legislation of the member of the Union concerned.

Dates for submission
For testing or plant material purposes, are there dates for the submission of applications?

Details about the dates for submission will be provided by the PVP Office.

In cases where a DUS examination is required in Tunisia (see Section “Plant material”) there is a table with submission dates for applications organized by varieties and groups of similar varieties. The list is not available online and it is not exhaustive. It may be modified whenever necessary, although all applicants or authorized local representatives may be informed directly or by e-mail.

Additional requirements
Are there any additional requirements?
  • Documents or partial documents can be submitted in French (English is acceptable).
  • The original copies of the documents submitted may be requested by the PVP Office, at any time during the processing of applications.
  • A sworn statement (“déclaration sur l’honneur” in French) certifying that the candidate variety is new under Act No. 99-42 of May 10, 1999.
  • Additional color photos of different parts of the plant may be requested by the PVP Office.