. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/EEC/43
28 November 2003
(03-6332)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated 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 [     ], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:   This measure
of limited validity had to be urgently adopted due to the short time period between the seedcertification exercise, when the shortage was identified and the sowing season.          
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Seeds of field beans       
  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Commission Decision
providing for the temporary marketing of certain seed of the species Vicia faba L., not
satisfying the requirements of Council Directive 66/401/EEC (6 pages, in English)          
6. Description of content:   The decision authorizes the Member States to permit the
marketing of seed of field beans subject to less stringent requirements for a limited period.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:   In
the United Kingdom the quantity of available seed of winter varieties of field beans(Vicia faba  L.) suitable to the national climatic conditions and which satisfies the
germination capacity requirements of Directive 66/401/EEC is insufficient and is therefore
not adequate to meet the needs of that Member State.  It is not possible to meet the demand
for seed of that species satisfactorily with seed from other Member States or from third
countries which satisfies all the requirements laid down in Directive 66/401/EEC.
Therefore Member States should be permitted to market seed of field beans subject to less
stringent requirements for a limited period.  The urgency of the measure is due to the shorttime period between the seed certification exercise, when the shortage was identified and
the sowing season.G/TBT/N/EEC/43
Page 2
8. Relevant documents:   Commission Decision 2003/ 795/EC of 10 November 2003
English:
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2003/l_296/l_29620031114en00320033.pdf
French:http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/fr/oj/dat/2003/l_296/l_29620031114fr00320033.pdf
Spanish:
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/es/oj/dat/2003/l_296/l_29620031114es00320033.pdf
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: }10 November 2003
10. Final date for comments:   -
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