2022 Annual Meeting of the OECD Seed Schemes

Dear participants,

I have the honour to invite you to Tallinn to attend the OECD Seed Schemes Annual Meeting 2022. We are pleased to organize the annual meeting in Estonia for the first time. In view of the difficult situation in the world where food security has become a priority for all, the meeting has even bigger meaning because of it. There will be special workshop “Contribution of seeds to sustainable food systems” which will address this issue.

I would like to announce that we have put the focus on rye, Cereale secale, a crop with a rich historical and cultural background, and our traditional dark and healthy rye bread has remained one of the most important foods and also one of the images of Estonians. During the field trip we will introduce this important crop to you and you can taste Estonian black bread.

I hope to welcome you all in Tallinn and look forward to fruitful discussions at the Annual Meeting.

Urmas Kruuse
Minister of Rural Affairs
Republic of Estonia

• Monday, 13 June
  • Bureau meeting
  • Workshop "Contribution of seeds to sustainable food systems"
    Agriculture and food systems face a formidable triple challenge: ensuring food security for a growing global population, providing livelihoods along the food chain, and enhancing the sustainability of the sector and its contribution to climate change mitigation. Seed plays a key role to address these challenges. This workshop aims to discuss the relevant policies in participating countries to identify how the seed sector, particularly seed varietal certification, can contribute to the triple challenge. The outcome of the workshop will contribute to the OECD Meeting of Agriculture Ministers to be held in November 2022.
• Tuesday, 14 June
  • Technical working group meeting
  • Welcome cocktail at the foyer of the conference centre
• Wednesday, 15 June
  • Field trip
• Thursday, 16 June
  • Annual meeting
  • Official dinner at the Tallinn TV Tower
• Friday, 17 June
  • Annual meeting (cont.)

The meeting will take place at Swissôtel Tallinn (Tornimäe Street 3).

Swissôtel Tallinn, a leading luxury hotel, sits in the heart of Tallinn Centre and is within walking distance of the stunning UNESCO-listed old town with its vast choice of museums, art galleries and churches, as well as shopping centres.

Directions to the hotel from Tallinn airport, central railway station, passenger port and the central bus station are available on the homepage of the hotel.

7:30 Gathering in the lobby of Swissôtel Tallinn

8:00 Departure from Swissôtel Tallinn

10:00–13:00 Visit to the Estonian Crop Research Institute

13:40–15:00 Lunch at Avinurme Wooden Handicrafts Centre. Opportunity to purchase Estonian handicrafts

15:30–16:30 Visit to Avispeamees OÜ, a seed producer

17:30 Arrival at Palmse Manor

19:00 Dinner at Palmse Tavern

22:00 Departure from Palmse to Tallinn

• Entire event, 13–17 June – € 450
• Workshop "Contribution of seeds to sustainable food systems" only, 13 June – € 100
• Technical working group meeting only, 14 June – 150 €
• Field trip and annual meeting, 15–17 June – € 350
• Annual meeting only, 16–17 June – € 250

If you register for either the entire event or for the field trip and annual meeting, then you have the option to bring along an accompanying person for a fee of € 200. The accompanying person can attend the welcome reception, field trip and official dinner or any combination of the three.

Swissôtel Tallinn (Tornimäe Street 3, Tallinn) offers discount rates for their Swiss Advantage rooms for the meeting attendees. To take advantage of the discount rates, attendees must book their accommodation at Swissôtel Tallinn no later than 16 May.

Swiss Advantage room:
price for one – € 115 per night
price for two – € 130 per night

Prices include breakfast as well as access to Pürovel SPA & Sport (fitness facilities, an indoor pool, steam bath and sauna).

To book a room, write to reservations.tallinn@swissotel.com and mention the promotion code OECD SEED SCHEMES.

• The discounted rate is available until 16 May 2022. If booking later, the availability of the discounted rate is subject to the occupancy of the hotel.
• Cancellation free of charge is possible up to 15 days prior to arrival. Later cancellation will incur a 100% fee.
• Full prepayment is required no later than 15 days prior to arrival date.
• A deposit of € 75 per room will be charged upon arrival for extras, which will be refunded upon departure.

The Republic of Estonia is located on the north-eastern edge of the European Union, bordering Latvia and Russia. It has been a member of the EU and NATO since 2004 and part of the Schengen visa-free zone since 2007. Estonia has also been a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) since 2010 and is a member of OECD Seed Schemes since 1997.

Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is best known for its unforgettable, UNESCO-listed Medieval Old Town, a fairytale neighbourhood of cobblestone streets, gabled houses, picturesque lanes and Gothic churches that was built up from the 13th to the 16th centuries. Other regions of the city reflect different ages, from the romantic, Tsarist-era Kadriorg Park to the unforgettable, early-20th-century wooden house district of Kalamaja. A modern shopping and business district in the city centre completes the tableau, making Tallinn an amazing blend of old and new.

Summers in Tallinn are moderately warm. The average temperature in June is around 15 °C, but the daily highs and lows can easily fluctuate between 10–35 °C and rainfalls can last several days, so plan your wardrobe accordingly. Check the weather forecast for Tallinn: weather.ee/tallinn.

Discover more about Tallinn at visittallinn.ee.

National currency: 1 euro = 100 cents.

Most banks in Tallinn are open on weekdays from 9:00 to 17:00. ATMs can be used round the clock and accept all major bankcards. All banks offer currency exchange services. Exchange offices are also located in larger hotels, the airport, harbour, railroad terminal and major shopping centres.

The major shopping centres are generally open 10:00–21:00 every day. Smaller shops are usually open 10:00–19:00 on weekdays, 10:00–17:00 on Saturdays and closed on Sundays and public holidays.

Most hotels, stores and restaurants accept Visa, MasterCard, Eurocard and American Express. However, it is advisable to carry some cash with you.

The official language in Estonia is Estonian. English is the most widely spoken foreign language. However, many locals also speak or understand Russian, Finnish or German.

Both prescription and over-the-counter medications are only available at pharmacies. Independent pharmacies are usually open from 10:00–19:00. Pharmacies in shopping centres are usually open 9:00–21:00. Two pharmacies in Tallinn stay open 24/7 (Tõnismäe Apteek, Tõnismägi 5, tel +372 644 2282, and Vikerlase Südameapteek, Vikerlase 19, tel +372 603 1423).

The emergency number is 112. It is free of charge regardless of your telephone service provider.

The electrical system used is 220V AC, 50 Hz. Plugs and sockets are of the European-style 2-pin type.

Estonia is in the Eastern European Time Zone: UTC/GMT +2 hours in winter, UTC/GMT +3 hours in summer. Convert your time zone: www.timeanddate.com.

For entry into Estonia, no vaccinations or health certificates are required. Health insurance policy is optional.

To find out more about Estonia, how to travel here, and what to do once you have arrived, visit the Estonian Tourist Board: www.visitestonia.com.

NB! For COVID-19 related travel restrictions, see www.kriis.ee.

Estonia is a part of the Schengen visa area. Nationals of EU and EEA member states do not need a visa to enter Estonia. The required travel document for entry is a national ID card or passport.

Nationals of other countries can check whether they need a visa to enter Estonia for a short visit on the home page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport is the main airport in Estonia and most major European cities are less than two hours away by air. The airport is located just 4 km from the city centre. For information about international flights, visit www.tallinn-airport.ee.

Tallinn also has excellent ferry connections with Helsinki and Stockholm. Routes, timetables and tickets are available at laevapiletid.ee.

Tram line 4 on route „Lennujaam–Tondi“ stops at the city side of the passenger terminal of the airport. The journey to the city centre takes approximately 15–17 minutes.

Bus line 2 on route “Mõigu–Balti jaam” to the city centre stops at the front of the airport’s car park alongside the highway.

More information on bus and tram routes and schedules is available at transport.tallinn.ee. Information about tickets is available at tallinn.ee.

Taxis pick up passengers at the front of the airport terminal doors. Taxis are required to publish their full price list on the passenger’s side of the window and all customers can choose whichever taxi they prefer, regardless of its position in the line. All taxis accept cash and most widely used bankcards. You can also use the transport services offered via ride-sharing apps, e.g Bolt or Uber.

If you have any questions, contact the event organisers at estonia.oecd2022@agri.ee.