. /. WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/TBT/N/EEC/63 
18 May 2004  
 
(04-2179) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English 
   
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   European Commission 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:    
European Commission, 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point, Fax:  0032 2 299 80 43, 
E-mail:  ec-tbt@cec.eu.int 
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [ X ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:         
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where app licable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable):   Seed sampling 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Proposal for a 
Council Directive amending Directives 66/401/EEC on the marketing of fodder plant seed, 
66/402/EEC on the marketing of cereal seed, 200 2/54/EC on the marketing of beet seed, 
and 2002/57/EC on the marketing of seed of oil and fibre plants as regards examinations 
carried out under official supervision and equi valence of seed produced in third countries 
(23 pages, in English). 
6. Description of content:    
 
6.1 Seed testing under official supervision: 
 
Commission Decision 98/320/EC of 27 April 1998 on the organization of a temporary 
experiment on seed sampling and seed testing pursuant to Council Directives 66/400/EEC (currently 2002/54/EC), 66/401/EEC, 66/402/ EEC and 69/208/EEC (currently 2002/57/EC) 
organized a temporary experiment under speci fied conditions, with the aim of assessing 
whether seed sampling and seed testing under o fficial supervision may constitute improved 
alternatives to the procedures fo r official seed certification, without a significant decline in 
the quality of the seed.  The results of the experiment have shown th at under specified conditions there could be a 
simplification of the procedures for official se ed certification without any significant decline 
in the quality of the seed compared with that  achieved under the system of official seed 
sampling and seed testing.  G/TBT/N/EEC/63 
Page 2  
 
According to the draft such a simplified procedure,  together with the conditions to be met, is 
laid down. 
 
6.2 Extension of equivalence regime: 
 
The scope of the Community seed equivalen ce in respect of seed harvested in third 
countries is currently restricted to certain cat egories of seed. In view, in particular, of 
developments at international level, the equi valence regime should be extended to all the 
various kinds of seed meeting the characteristics, the examination requirements, the marking and sealing conditio ns laid down in Directives 66/401/EEC, 66/402/EEC, 
2002/54/EC and 2002/57/EC. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
The scope of the EU seed “equivalence” in r espect of seed harvested in third countries is 
currently restricted to certain categories of se ed.  In the meantime, taking into account that 
rules applicable to seed moving in internati onal trade (in particular OECD Schemes) have 
been adopted, the equivalence regime may be  extended to all the various kinds of seeds 
meeting the characteristics and the examina tion requirements laid down in the various 
Community Directives on the marketing of seeds.  The Decision 98/320/EC expires on 31 July 2004.  It is therefore appropriate  to keep the Community conditions concerning 
the marketing of seed produced pursuant to that  Decision, pending the application of the 
new provisions 
8. Relevant documents:   Doc. SANCO/126/04 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   End July 2004 
10. Final date for comments:   60 days from the date of notification 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
European Commission, 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point, Fax:  0032 2 299 80 43, E-mail:  ec-tbt@cec.eu.int