A meeting of the Working Group on Documentation and Information of the European Co-ordinated Programme on Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR) was held in Tallinn on 18-19 September.

The meeting was attended by 17 specialists in the field of information management of genetic resources from eleven institutions involved in the conservation of genetic resources in Europe.

One of the main objectives of the working group is to improve the communication of gene bank information to the public. in cooperation with each other.

The standards for data submission in the Common European Information System for Genebanks (EURISCO) were defined and the objectives of the working group's activities in the development of a comprehensive EURISCO information system were specified. 

The possibilities of using the EURISO information system for coherent and central documentation of wild crop relatives were discussed. Activities to carry out an on-farm inventory of conserved genetic diversity in Europe were coordinated.

Overall, the decisions taken at the meeting will contribute to the sustainable use of plant genetic resources for plant breeding and research.

Specialists from the Centre for Rural Science have been involved in the various working groups of the ECPGR since 1995. Külli Annamaa is the Vice-Chair of the ECPGR Working Group on Documentation and Information, Vahur Kukk is the EURISCO National Coordinator.

The METK Genebank has consistently provided information to the European Genetic Resources Information System EURISCO database since its inception in 2003.