COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DIRECTIVE (EU) 2021/746

of 6 May 2021

amending Directives 2003/90/EC and 2003/91/EC as regards the protocols for the examination of certain varieties of agricultural plant species and vegetable species, and amending Directive 2003/90/EC as regards certain botanical names of plants

(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) aim to ensure that the varieties of agricultural plant species and vegetable species that Member States include in their national catalogues comply with the protocols established by the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO). In particular, those Directives aim to ensure compliance with the rules concerning the characteristics to be covered as a minimum by the examination and the minimum conditions for examining certain varieties of agricultural plant and vegetable species. For the species not covered by the CPVO protocols those Directives aim to ensure compliance with guidelines of the International Union for Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV).

(2) The CPVO and UPOV have established further protocols and guidelines and have updated existing ones, in particular as regards field pea, swede rape, cotton, oat, timothy, brown mustard, sprouting broccoli, pepper, melon, globe artichoke, tomato, pea, spinach and tomato rootstocks. Directives 2003/90/EC and 2003/91/EC should be adapted accordingly to reflect those developments.

(3) Commission Implementing Directive (EU) 2021/415 (5) amended Council Directives 66/401/EEC (6) and 66/402/EEC (7) as regards certain botanical names of hard fescue, wheat, durum wheat, spelt wheat, sorghum and Sudangrass in order to reflect the development of scientific knowledge. Directive 2003/90/EC should be adapted accordingly to reflect those amendments.

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

(5) For certain varieties that were not accepted for inclusion in the Common Catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant or vegetable species, official examinations have started prior to 1 January 2022 in accordance with the provisions of either the CPVO protocols or the UPOV guidelines listed in the respective Annex to Directive 2003/90/EC or 2003/91/EC as they stood before having been amended by this Directive. In order not to disrupt those examinations, it is appropriate that for those examinations Member States apply the national provisions transposing Directives 2003/90/EC and 2003/91/EC as they stood before having been amended by this Directive.

(6) 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 Amendments to Directive 2003/90/EC Annexes I and II to Directive 2003/90/EC are replaced by the text set out in Part A of the Annex to this Directive.

Article 2 Amendments to Directive 2003/91/EC The Annexes to Directive 2003/91/EC are replaced by the text set out in Part B of the Annex to this Directive.

Article 3 Transposition 1. Member States shall adopt and publish, by 31 December 2021 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 January 2022. 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. 2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the main provisions of national law, which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.

Article 4 Transitional measures For examinations of varieties started before 1 January 2022 Member States shall apply the national provisions transposing Directives 2003/90/EC and 2003/91/EC as they stood before having been amended by this Directive.

Article 5 Entry into force 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 Addressees This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 6 May 2021. For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN

(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).

(5) Commission Implementing Directive (EU) 2021/415 of 8 March 2021 amending Council Directives 66/401/EEC and 66/402/EEC in order to adapt to the evolution of scientific and technical knowledge, taxonomic groups and names of certain species of seeds and weeds (OJ L 81, 9.3.2021, p. 65).

(6) Council Directive 66/401/EEC of 14 June 1966 on the marketing of fodder plant seed (OJ 125, 11.7.1966, p. 2298).

(7) Council Directive 66/402/EEC of 14 June 1966 on the marketing of cereal seed (OJ 125, 11.7.1966, p. 2309).