The NFU has promised it will fight to end "severe" seed shortages in Europe as the union's combinable crops chair has been elected as chair of a Brussels seeds advisory committee.

Andrew Watts was elected Chair of the Seeds Advisory Committee to DGAgri and will be in post for the first review of all European seed legislation in 40 years.

He said "My task now is to make sure that the voice of the farmer is heard during European Commission meetings on a range of issues. This is a crucial time for arable farmers. The last ten months of poor weather have been well documented and the impact on the 2012 harvest in England and Wales has been evident to all.

"Across Europe farmers are facing severe spring seed shortages. It is clear that we need a more flexible European legislative framework to account for modern farming practice, especially contract farming, and I look forward to working with the Commission to present our case."

The NFU chair said that, apart from seed availability he would also use the high-level role to "convince EU policy makers to improve existing seed regulations." He also promised to act in industry's favour in the face of a potential ban on neonicotinoid insecticides, which have been shown to present an "unacceptable risk" to insect pollinators.