Proposal for a Council Decision amending Decision 2003/17/EC on the equivalence of field inspections carried out in third countries on seed producing crops and on the equivalence of seed produced in third countries
Date: 2003-04-01
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Lithuania, plant health control, plant health legislation, seed, third country

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 01.04.2003
COM(2003) 153 final

Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

amending Decision 2003/17/EC on the equivalence of field inspections carried out in
third countries on seed producing crops and on the equivalence of seed produced in
third countries

(presented by the Commission)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

Council Directives 66/401/EEC, 66/402/EEC, 2002/54/EC and 2002/57/EC on the marketing
of seed (fodder plants, cereals, beet, oil and fibre plants) provide for the Council to determine
whether  field  inspections  carried  out  in  third  countries  on  seed  producing  crops  satisfy  the
conditions laid down in Community legislation and whether seed produced in these countries
is equivalent to seed produced in the Community.

By  virtue  of  Council  Decision  2003/17/EC,  this  equivalence  was  determined  in  twenty-one
countries.

Following an official request submitted by Lithuania to the Commission and the examination
of the available documentation, the Commission service feels satisfied on the readiness of this
country to produce seed equivalent to seed produced in the Community.

The present proposal adds Lithuania to Council Decision 2003/17/EC.

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Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

amending Decision 2003/17/EC on the equivalence of field inspections carried out in
third countries on seed producing crops and on the equivalence of seed produced in
third countries

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community.

Having regard to Council Directive 66/401/EEC of 14 June 1966 on the marketing of fodder
plant seed1, and in particular Article 16(1) thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 66/402/EEC of 14 June 1966 on the marketing of cereal
seed2, and in particular Article 16(1) thereof,

Having regard to Council Directive 2002/57/EC of 13 June 2002 on the marketing of seed of
oil and fibre plants3, and in particular Article 20(1) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission4,

Whereas:

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

1

2

3

4

5

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In its Decision 2003/17/EC5, the Council determined that field inspections carried out
in certain third countries on seed-producing crops of certain species and seed produced
in  certain  third  countries  satisfy  the  conditions  laid  down  in  Directives  66/401/EEC,
66/402/EEC, 2002/54/EC6 and 2002/57/EC.

It has since been established that in Lithuania there are also rules on seeds control for a
range  of  plant  species  which  provide  for  official  field  inspections  to  be  carried  out
during the period of seed production.

Those  rules  provide  in  principle  that  seed  may  be  officially  certified  and  seed
packages  officially  closed  in  accordance  with  the  OECD  Schemes  for  the  Varietal
Certification  of  Seed  moving  in  International  Trade.  The  rules  also  provide  for  seed

OJ  125,  11.7.1966,  p.  2298/66.  Directive  as  last  amended  by  Directive  2001/64/EC  (OJ  L  234,
1.9.2001, p. 60).
OJ 125, 11.7.1966, p. 1309/66. Directive as last amended by Directive 2001/64/EC.
OJ  L  193,  20.7.2002,  p.  74.  Directive  as  amended  by  Directive  2002/68/EC  (OJ  L  195,  24.7.2002,
p. 32).
OJ C […] of […], p. […]
OJ L 8, 14.1.2003, p. 10.
OJ L 193, 20.7.2002, p. 12.

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sampling and testing in accordance with the methods of the International Seed Testing
Association (ISTA).

An examination of those rules and the manner in which they are applied in Lithuania
has  shown  that  the  field  inspection  of  seed-producing  crops  satisfies  the  conditions
laid  down  in  Directives  66/401/EEC,  66/402/EEC  and  2002/57/EC.  The  national
provisions  governing  seed  harvested  and  controlled  in  Lithuania  afford  the  same
assurances  as  regards  the  seed’s  characteristics  and  the  arrangements  for  its
examination,  for  ensuring  seed  identification,  for  marking  and  for  control  as  the
provisions  applicable  to  seed  harvested  and  controlled  within  the  Community,
provided  that  further  conditions  for  seed-producing  crops  and  seed  produced,  in
particular in respect of packages marking, are satisfied.

Lithuania should therefore be granted equivalence in respect of certain species.

Decision 2003/17/EC should therefore be amended accordingly,

(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

In  Annex  I  to  Decision  2003/17/EC  the  following  item  is  inserted  after  the  row  relating  to
Latvia: ”

Article 1

Lithuania

“

Ministry of Agriculture,
Vilnius

66/401/EEC,
66/402/EEC
2002/57/EC

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels,

For the Council
The President

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