Presidential Decree No. 197/26 approving the Statute of the National Seed Service (SENSE).

This Presidential Decree approves the Statute of the National Seed Service (SENSE), restructuring the institution as a public establishment with administrative, financial and patrimonial autonomy. The principal objective of the Service is to strengthen the national framework governing seed production, certification, registration, quality control and variety protection in order to support agricultural development, increase productivity, promote economic diversification, and enhance food and nutrition security in Angola. The law entrusts SENSE with the coordination and implementation of public policies relating to seed production, commercialisation, import and export, while ensuring the availability of quality seeds and preventing the introduction of harmful seeds and plant material into the country. The Statute further aims to establish an integrated regulatory and technical system for seed inspection, certification, biosafety, varietal registration and protection of plant breeders’ rights. It empowers SENSE to oversee producers, traders and importers of seeds, maintain the National Catalogue of Varieties, certify improved seeds, supervise seed quality standards, and regulate activities involving genetically modified seeds, including importation, research, cultivation and environmental release.