98/114/EC: Commission Decision of 28 January 1998 setting out the arrangements for Community comparative tests of seed potatoes under Article 14 of Council Directive 66/403/EEC
Date: 1998-01-28
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: plant disease, plant health control, potato, seedling

6. 2. 98

‹

EN

‹

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 31/23

COMMISSION DECISION

of 28 January 1998

setting out the arrangements for Community comparative tests of seed potatoes
under Article 14 of Council Directive 66/403/EEC

(98/114/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 66/403/EEC on the
marketing of
last amended by
Commission Decision 97/90/EC (2), and in particular
Article 14(4) thereof,

seed potatoes (1), as

Whereas Article 14(4) of Directive 66/403/EEC provides
for the carrying out of Community comparative tests of
seed potatoes;

Whereas it is necessary for all Member States to particip-
ate in the Community comparative tests, in so as far seed
potatoes are usually reproduced or marketed in their terri-
tories, in order to ensure that proper conclusions may be
drawn therefrom;

Whereas the Commission is responsible for making the
necessary arrangements for the Community comparative
tests;

Whereas the arrangements for the tests should also cover,
inter alia, certain harmful organisms which come within
the scope of Directive 66/403/EEC as well as Council
Directive 77/93/EEC of 21 December 1976, on protective
measures against the introduction into Member States of
organisms harmful to plants or plant products (3), as last
amended by Commission Directive 97/14/EC (4), Council
Directive 93/85/EEC of 4 October 1993 on the control of
potato ring rot (5), as well as Commission Decisions
95/506/EC of 24 November 1995 (6), as last amended by
Commission Decision 97/649/EC of 26 September
1997 (7), and 96/301/EC of 3 May 1996 (8) against the
dissemination of potato brown rot;

Whereas the measures provided for in this Decision are in
accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee

on Seeds and Propagating Material for Agriculture, Horti-
culture and Forestry,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Community comparative tests shall be carried out

1.
during 1998 on seed potatoes harvested in 1997.

All Member States shall participate in the Com-

2.
munity comparative tests.

Article 2

The general arrangements for the carrying out of the
1.
Community comparative tests are set out in the Annex
hereto.

2.
Further detailed arrangements for the carrying out of
the Community comparative tests shall be submitted to
the Standing Committee on Seeds and Propagating Mater-
ial for Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 28 January 1998.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ 125, 11. 7. 1966, p. 2320/66.
(2) OJ L 27, 30. 1. 1997, p. 49.
(3) OJ L 26, 31. 1. 1977, p. 20.
(4) OJ L 87, 2. 4. 1997, p. 17.
(5) OJ L 259, 18. 10. 1993, p. 1.
(6) OJ L 291, 6. 12. 1995, p. 48.
(7) OJ L 274, 26. 9. 1997, p. 14.
(8) OJ L 115, 9. 5. 1996, p. 47.

L 31/24

‹

EN

‹

Official Journal of the European Communities

6. 2. 98

ANNEX

GENERAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CARRYING OUT OF THE COMMUNITY COMPAR-
ATIVE TESTS OF SEED POTATOES IN 1997

1. Responsible body

Landbrugs- og fiskeriministeriet
Plantedirektoratet
Denmark

2. Number of samples

The total number is 250:

(a) 223 samples shall be taken in the producer Member States;

(b) 20 additional samples shall be taken from seed marketed by a producer Member State in a recipient

Member State, in the recipient Member State;

(c) seven samples from Switzerland shall be taken under the Community equivalence arrangements

mentioned in Article 15(1) of Directive 66/403/EEC.

3. Sampling

In respect of samples taken under paragraph 2(a) above, an official sampling procedure shall be ensured.
The sampling of the lot shall be performed using an appropriate technique. For the purpose of taking the
samples, persons shall be designated by the Commission services. These persons shall act under the
responsibility of the Commission services. Sampling shall be carried out on the producer holding, at the
place of loading, in the sorting sheds or at any place where seed potatoes are stored.

In the case of all samples taken under paragraph 2 above each sample shall consist of 320 tubers.

4. Assessment of the minimum conditions to be satisfied by seed potatoes in the direct progeny

of the samples

Postcontrol tests on field plots shall be carried out and, where appropirate, confirmation by laboratory
tests. The sample size shall be 100 tubers.

5. Assessment of freedom of seed potatoes from potato brown rot (Pseudomonas solanacearum)

and potato ring rot (Corynebacterium sepedonicum/Clavibacter michiganensis)

Laboratory tests shall be carried out, in accordance with appropriate methods. The sample size shall be of
200 tubers.

6. Assessment of freedom of seed potatoes from potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTV)

Laboratory tests shall be carried out, in accordance with appropriate methods. The responsible body under
1 shall ensure that the sample size is that given in such methods, in so far as this specification exists.

7. Confidentiality

In relation with the assessments under 5 and 6 above, each sample to be submitted to the laboratory tests
shall have been previously coded by the responsible body under 1, under the responsibility of the
Commission services. In the case of samples confirmed to be contaminated by any of the relevant
harmful organisms, the Commission shall ensure that the measures required under Directive 77/93/EEC
or Directive 93/85/EEC or their implementing measures, as appropriate, are taken. This is without preju-
dice to the general conditions applicable to the examination of the annual reports on the confirmed
results and conclusions of Community comparative tests.