95/514/EC: Council Decision of 29 November 1995 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

COUNCIL DECISION of 29 November 1995 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 (95/514/EC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 66/400/EEC of 14 June 1966 on the marketing of beet seed  (1),  and in particular Article 16 (1) thereof,
Having regard to Council Directive 66/401/EEC of 14 June 1966 on the marketing of fodder plant seed   (2), and in particular Article 16 (1) thereof,
Having regard to Council Directive 66/402/EEC of 14 June 1966 on the marketing of cereal seed  (3),  and in particular Article 16 (1) thereof,
Having regard to Council Directive 69/208/EEC of 30 June 1969 on the marketing of seed of oil and  fibre plants  (4), and in particular Article 15 (1) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas there are rules on official seed control in Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Switzerland,  Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Morocco, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Argentina,  Chile, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Uruguay, the United States of America and South Africa; whereas  these rules provide for an official field inspection to be carried out during the period of seed  production;
Whereas the abovementioned rules provide in principle that basic seed, certified seed and certified  seed of the first generation may be officially certified and their packages officially closed in  accordance with the OECD schemes and for the varietal certification of seed moving in international  trade; whereas, furthermore, such rules provide for seed sampling and testing in accordance with  the methods of the International Seed Testing Association ('ISTA`);
Whereas in the respective third countries an examination of these rules and the manner in which  they are applied has shown that the prescribed field inspection of seed producing crops satisfies  the relevant conditions laid down in the abovementioned Directives; whereas the conditions  governing seed harvested and controlled in these countries afford the same assurances as regards  the seed's characteristics, the arrangements for its examination, for ensuring identity, for  marking and for control, as do the conditions applicable to seed, harvested and controlled within  the Community;
Whereas Decision 85/355/EEC  (5), which established equivalence for field inspections in the  abovementioned countries and Decision 85/356/EEC  (6) which established equivalences for seed  produced in the abovementioned countries, expired on 30 June 1995; whereas a new decision is  therefore necessary;
Whereas the OECD schemes for the varietal certification of seed moving in international trade, upon  which this Decision is based, may be modified in the near future; whereas, in these circumstances,  it appears desirable to limit the continuation of the equivalence under this Decision to 18  months;
Whereas this Decision is without prejudice to a possible renewal of the equivalence in respect of  Cyprus where seed production and field inspections did not take place under Decisions 85/355/EEC  and 85/356/EEC;
Whereas this Decision does not preclude Community findings being revoked where the conditions on  which they are based cease to be satisfied; whereas, to this end, further practical information on  seed produced in the abovementioned countries should be obtained by growing and checking samples of  such seed in Community comparative tests;
Whereas certain provisions in this decision are subject to technical amendment; whereas, to  simplify the procedures, such modifications should be dealt with under the procedure of the  Standing Committee on Seeds and Propagating Material for Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry,