EN Official Journal of the European Union L 188/39

COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DIRECTIVE (EU) 2015/1168

of 15 July 2015

amending Directives 2003/90/EC and 2003/91/EC setting out implementing measures for the purposes of Article 7 of Council Directive 2002/53/EC and Article 7 of Council Directive 2002/55/EC respectively, as regards the characteristics to be covered as a minimum by the examination and the minimum conditions for examining certain varieties of agricultural plant species and vegetable species

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Directive 2002/53/EC of 13 June 2002 on the common catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant species (1), and in particular Article 7(2)(a) and (b) thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 2002/55/EC of 13 June 2002 on the marketing of vegetable seed (2), and in particular Article 7(2)(a) and (b) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Commission Directives 2003/90/EC (3) and 2003/91/EC (4) were adopted to ensure that the varieties the Member States include in their national catalogues comply with the guidelines established by the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) as regards the characteristics to be covered as a minimum by the examination of the various species and the minimum conditions for examining the varieties, as far as such guidelines had been established. For other varieties those Directives provide that guidelines of the International Union for Protection of new Varieties of Plants (UPOV) are to apply.

(2) The CPVO has since established further guidelines and has updated existing ones.

(3) Directives 2003/90/EC and 2003/91/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.

(4) The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Article 1

Annexes I and II to Directive 2003/90/EC are replaced by the text in part A of the Annex to this Directive.

Article 2

The Annexes to Directive 2003/91/EC are replaced by the text in part B of the Annex to this Directive.

Article 3

For examinations started before 1 July 2016 Member States may apply Directives 2003/90/EC and 2003/91/EC in the version applying before their amendment by this Directive.

Article 4

Member States shall adopt and publish, by 30 June 2016 at the latest, the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive. They shall forthwith communicate to the Commission the text of those provisions.

They shall apply those provisions from 1 July 2016.

When Member States adopt those provisions, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or be accompanied by such a reference on the occasion of their official publication. Member States shall determine how such reference is to be made.

Article 5

This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Article 6

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 15 July 2015. For the Commission The President Jean-Claude JUNCKER

(1) OJ L 193, 20.7.2002, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 193, 20.7.2002, p. 33.

(3) Commission Directive 2003/90/EC of 6 October 2003 setting out implementing measures for the purposes of Article 7 of Council Directive 2002/53/EC as regards the characteristics to be covered as a minimum by the examination and the minimum conditions for examining certain varieties of agricultural plant species (OJ L 254, 8.10.2003, p. 7).

(4) Commission Directive 2003/91/EC of 6 October 2003 setting out implementing measures for the purposes of Article 7 of Council Directive 2002/55/EC as regards the characteristics to be covered as a minimum by the examination and the minimum conditions for examining certain varieties of vegetable species (OJ L 254, 8.10.2003, p. 11).