EN Official Journal of the European Union L 327/37

COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DIRECTIVE 2012/44/EU

of 26 November 2012

amending Directives 2003/90/EC and 2003/91/EC setting out implementing measures for the purposes of Article 7 of Council Directives 2002/53/EC and 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 and UPOV have since established further guidelines for one other species and have 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 Seeds and Propagating Material for Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry,

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 January 2014 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 31 December 2013 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 2014.

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, 26 November 2012. For the Commission The President José Manuel BARROSO

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

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

(3) OJ L 254, 8.10.2003, p. 7.

(4) OJ L 254, 8.10.2003, p. 11.