COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DIRECTIVE (EU) 2022/905

of 9 June 2022

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

(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), points (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), points (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 has established further protocols and has updated existing ones, in particular as regards cocksfoot, lucerne, sand lucerne, small timothy, timothy, red clover, hemp, rye, triticale, spinach beet or chard, savoy cabbage, white cabbage and red cabbage, leaf chicory, watermelon, melon, fennel, lettuce, tomato, spinach and tomato rootstocks. Those developments should be reflected in Union law.

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

(4) Member States are to apply the new rules from 1 January 2023. However, for certain varieties that were not accepted for inclusion in the Common Catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant or vegetable species, official examinations, which are not yet finalised, have started prior to 1 January 2023 in accordance with Directive 2003/90/EC or Directive 2003/91/EC as they stood before being amended by this Directive. In order not to disrupt those examinations, they should be subject to those previous rules.

(5) 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 2022 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 2023. 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 official examinations of varieties started before 1 January 2023 but which are not yet finalised Directives 2003/90/EC and 2003/91/EC shall apply as they stood before being 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, 9 June 2022. 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).