At its last meeting of EU agriculture ministers on Monday, the Belgian Council Presidency presented the interim status of talks on several legislative proposals. According to the current state of negotiations, the ministers are taking the opposite course to the European Parliament on the EU Seed Regulation. They want to limit exemptions compared to the original Commission proposal. For example, exemptions for so-called conservation varieties are to be limited to old varieties in order to avoid loopholes for new varieties. The ministers also want to restrict exemptions for the exchange of small quantities of seed between farmers.