Lately, significant accomplishments related to Animal Genetic Resources have occurred in Europe. Following the publication of the Genetic Resources Strategy for Europe in 2021, an Animal Genetic Resources Strategy was released by the European Regional Focal Point. Meanwhile, the European Commission selected a consortium led by Wageningen University and Research to set up the EU Reference Centre for Endangered Animal Breeds (EURC EAB), starting January 2023. In this event, we presented the main orientations of the AnGR Strategy as well as the consortium and plan of action of the EURC EAB.

The Animal Genetic Resources Strategy for Europe, and the recently established EU Reference Centre for Endangered Animal Breeds were presented in a side event during the FAO Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Animal Genetic Resources (18-20 January 2023). The side event was chaired by Montserrat Castellanos (Spain), president of the Steering Committee of the European Regional Focal Point for Animal Genetic Resources (ERFP). On behalf of ERFP, Danijela Bojkovski (Slovenia), presented the main orientations of the AnGR Strategy for Europe. She was followed by Sipke Joost Hiemstra (The Netherlands), director of the European Union Reference Centre for Endangered Animal Breeds (EURC-EAB), who presented the consortium and its plans for the next two years.

The webcast of the live event can be viewed via this link.