2000/670/EC: Commission Decision of 19 October 2000 authorising Member States to permit temporarily the marketing of forest reproductive material not satisfying the requirements of Council Directives 66/404/EEC and 71/161/EEC (notified under document number C(2000) 2825)

Commission Decision
of 19 October 2000
authorising Member States to permit temporarily the marketing of forest reproductive material not satisfying the requirements of Council Directives 66/404/EEC and 71/161/EEC
(notified under document number C(2000) 2825)
(2000/670/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Directive 66/404/EEC of 14 June 1966 on the marketing of forest reproductive material(1), as last amended by the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden, and in particular Article 15 thereof,
Having regard to Council Directive 71/161/EEC of 30 March 1971 on external quality standards for forest reproductive material marketed within the Community(2), as last amended by the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden, and in particular Article 15 thereof,
Having regard to the requests submitted by certain Member States,
Whereas:
(1) Production of reproductive material of the species set out in the Annexes is at present insufficient in the Member States with the result that their requirements for reproductive material conforming to the provisions of Directives 66/404/EEC or 71/161/EEC cannot be met.
(2) Third countries are not in a position to supply sufficient reproductive material of the relevant species which can afford the same guarantees as Community reproductive material and which conforms to the provisions of the above mentioned Directives.
(3) The Member States should therefore be authorised to permit, for a limited period, the marketing of reproductive material of the relevant species which satisfies less stringent requirements to cover the shortage of reproductive material satisfying the requirements of Directives 66/404/EEC or 71/161/EEC.
(4) Whereas, for genetic reasons, the reproductive material must be collected at places of origin within the natural range of the relevant species and the strictest possible guarantees should be given to ensure the identity of the material.
(5) Whereas, furthermore, reproductive material should be marketed only if it is accompanied by a document bearing certain details of the reproductive material in question.
(6) Whereas each of the Member States should furthermore be authorised to permit the marketing in its territory of seed and seedlings which satisfies less stringent requirements in respect of provenance, or, in the case of reproductive material of Populus nigra, in respect of the category, as laid down in Directive 66/404/EEC, or seed which satisfies less stringent requirements in respect of specific purity as laid down in Directive 71/161/EEC, if the marketing of such material has been authorised in the other Member States under this Decision.
(7) 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, Horticulture and Forestry,