SHORT REPORT. Similar exemptions were granted to Member States of the Community of 15.

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "SHORT REPORT. Similar exemptions were granted to Member States of the Community of 15."

Transcription

1 SHORT REPORT OF THE MEETING OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON SEEDS AND PROPAGATING MATERIAL FOR AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE AND FORESTRY HELD ON 3 AND 4 SEPTEMBER 2004 Chairman: Mr. Valvassori items other than, Mr. Foletto item. All the Member States were present. CPVO and Norway participated as observers.. DRAFT COMMISSION DECISION SETTING OUT THE ARRANGEMENT FOR COMMUNITY COMPARATIVE TRIALS AND TESTS ON SEEDS AND PROPAGATING MATERIAL OF CERTAIN PLANTS OF AGRICULTURAL AND VEGETABLE SPECIES AND VINE UNDER COUNCIL DIRECTIVES 66/40/EEC, 66/402/EEC, 68/93/EEC, 92/33/EEC, 2002/54/EC, 2002/55/EC, 2002/56/EC AND 2002/57/EC FOR THE YEARS 2005 AND 2006 The Committee noted that the new draft Decision was prepared under the new administrative and financial procedures, in particular Council Directive 2003/6/EC of 8 June 2003 amending Council Directive on the marketing of seed and propagating material as regards Community comparative tests and trials and Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the financial regulation applicable to the General Budget of the European Communities. The species submitted to the comparative tests and trials together with the number of samples, the eligible costs and the maximum financial contribution were discussed. As suggested by Member States in a previous meeting, in addition to the costs for carrying out tests and trials by the responsible body, also costs for sending samples are considered eligible for a subvention. 2. DRAFT COMMISSION DECISION RELEASING CZECH REPUBLIC, ESTONIA, CYPRUS, LATVIA, LITHUANIA, MALTA AND POLAND FROM THE OBLIGATION TO APPLY TO CERTAIN SPECIES COUNCIL DIRECTIVES 66/40/EEC, 66/402/EEC, 68/93/EEC, 999/05/EC, 2002/55/EC AND 2002/57/EC As reproductive material of the species set out in the Annex to the Draft is not normally reproduced or marketed in certain Member States, seven new Member States should be released from the obligation to apply one or more of the above mentioned Council Directives. Similar exemptions were granted to Member States of the Community of 5. The Committee supported the drafts; 3. DRAFT COMMISSION DECISION AUTHORISING ESTONIA, LATVIA, LITHUANIA AND MALTA TO ADOPT MORE STRINGENT PROVISIONS CONCERNING THE PRESENCE OF AVENA FATUA IN CEREAL SEED Directive 66/402/EEC lays down tolerances as regards the presence of Avena fatua in cereal seed. Nevertheless the Directive permits Member States to subject seeds of their home production to requirements which are more rigorous. In Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Malta, there is a campaign to eradicate Avena fatua from crops grown in these Member States.

2 Furthermore, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania apply to the home production of cereal seed provisions concerning the possible presence of Avena fatua as stringent as those laid down in the Commission Directive 74/268/EEC. According to the draft, the four countries will be authorised to prescribe that seed, which is to be marketed in their territories must be accompanied by an official certificate attesting compliance with the conditions laid down in Commission Directive 74/268/EEC. The Committee supported the draft in respect of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and needed further clarifications from Malta. 4. REQUEST FROM MALTA TO BE AUTHORISED IN RESPECT OF THE MARKETING OF SEED POTATOES IN ITS TERRITORY STATES, TO TAKE MORE STRINGENT MEASURES AGAINST CERTAIN DISEASES THAN PROVIDED FOR IN ANNEXES I AND II TO COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2002/56/EC Malta has requested to be authorised, in respect of marketing of seed potatoes in its territory, to restrict the marketing only to basic seed potatoes of the Community grades (established by Commission Directive 93/7/EEC of 30 March 993). The Committee suggested that a group of rapporteurs (F, IE, I, MT, NL and UK) examine to which extent in Malta the home production of seed potatoes and of potatoes for consumption may be considered equivalent to EC grades. 5. POSSIBLE ORGANISATION OF A TEMPORARY EXPERIMENT AT COMMUNITY LEVEL IN ORDER TO ASSESS WHETHER THE RELEVANT AUTHORISATION ON LESS STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS MAY BE GIVEN DIRCTLY BY THE MEMBER STATES The various Council Directives on the marketing of seeds provided that in order to remove any temporary difficulty in the general supply of seed that occurs in the Community (the most frequent case is that of the reduced germination) and cannot be otherwise overcome, Member States may be authorised in accordance with the Standing Committee procedure, to permit for a specified period the marketing throughout the Community of seed subject to less stringent requirements. The utmost efforts have been made to deal with requests for authorisations as rapidly as possible, but the experience has confirmed that the dates of the Commission authorisations are too late. A solution through the organisation of a temporary experiment at Community level (to be based e.g. on Article 6 of Council Directive 2002/57/EC) to assess whether the relevant decisions may be adopted directly by the Member States was again suggested by the Committee. The Committee noted two recent written contributions (NL and UK) on the subject and it was considered appropriate that the Commission Services, with the assistance of Experts from two Member States prepare a first draft on a possible legal Act. The Commission (namely SANCO E) were in favour of finding solutions to enable Member States to take temporary decisions directly, whilst still adhering to strict Community conditions.

3 6. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE ANNUAL MEETING OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NATIONAL DESIGNATED AUTHORITIES HELD IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA 8-0 SEPTEMBER OECD SCHEMES FOR THE VARIETAL CERTIFICATION OF SEED MOVING IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE The agenda of the above meeting covered items particularly relevant to the Community legislation on the marketing of seeds: Certification of hybrid oil seed rape. The suggestion of the EU to provide for male sterility of at least 99% for the production of basic seed was rejected. The Committee noted a discrepancy with the Commission Directive 2003/45/EC. Certification of herbage seed mixtures. OECD accepted a full alignment with the EU rules (Commission Decision 2004/37/EC). Accreditation (inspections carried out by non-official inspectors, under official supervision). The EU suggestion in respect of official checks was fully accepted by the OECD. On the contrary, the provision the seed crop to be inspected shall be grown from seed which has undergone official post-control, the results of which have been satisfactory will not be included in the OECD schemes Increase of the maximum size of cereal seed lots. The conclusion of the ISTA Congress to be held in 2005 should be awaited. Genetically modified issue. The Committee noted that the OECD achieved no conclusions on any of the items on the table, i.e. identification of transgenic varieties as well as adventitious presence of GMOs and certification. However the current ad hoc OECD Group on GM issues should continue and this was outlined in the Standing Committee. 7. OTHER BUSINESS The Committee noted: a) Possible amendments of the Community acquis, following the enlargement of the Union. The Committee noted suggestions to: Include fodder galega in the scope of 66/40/EEC, Include sweet maize in the scope of /EC(HU), To enlarge the equivalence on checks on maintenance of varieties to Byelorussia (CZ, EE) and possibly to Ukraine (CZ), To provide maintenance of DUS in the case of Croatia (SLO), To revise the Directive 72/69/EEC on the vegetative propagating material of vine (HU).

4 b) Less stringent requirements in respect of seed of wheat. The Committee discussed a request (germination capacity) presented by DK on 8 September An exchange of views on possible offers from other Member States took place. c) Less stringent requirements in respect of seed of rye. Latvia announced a request to certify and market seed with a high number of sclerotia of Claviceps purpurea. d) GMO: 7 GMO maize varieties will be published on 7 September 2004 in the OJ. Information by SANCO E as regards the postponement of the decision by the Commission on a draft as regards adventitious presence of GM seeds under Directive 200/8/EC and the need, in particular, to analyse further the economic impacts. e) Revision of the scientific (botanical) plant names and simplification of EU directives in respect of seed testing. The Committee noted a recent (7 August 2004) working document prepared by DK. This delegation will prepare a detailed draft in respect of the scientific plant names. f) Application of legislation on the Community grades of seed potatoes. The Committee had a first exchange of views on a recent working paper submitted by the UK delegation (Scottish Executive, July 2004). g) Commission Directive 2004/55/EC regarding an extension of the scope of Directive 66/40/EEC to cover crossing of Festuca spp. with Lolium spp. The Committee agreed that a Group of Rapporteurs (CZ, DK, D, F, LT and PL) with the assistance of the CPVO study the matter. h) Placing on the market of seed belonging to varieties not yet listed. The Committee noted questions raised by CY ( September 2004). It was agreed to wait for the formal adoption of the relevant Commission Decision as formally voted by the Committee on 6 July Alejandro Checchi Lang NB The measures on which the Committee has given an opinion re subject to the appropriate procedures for final approval by the Commission

5 List of participants to be joined to the Short Report Standing Committee on Seeds and Propagating Material for Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry Date 3-4 September 2004 Etat Membre BE CZ Ministère ou Organisme Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap Ministry of Economic Affairs Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture (ÚKZÚZ) Nombre des participants DK Plantdirektoratet DE Bundessortenamt 2 EE Ministry of Agriculture EL Ministry of Agriculture ES Ministerio de Agricultura Pesca y Alimentacion 2 FR Ministère de l agriculture et de la pêche GNIS IE Department of Agriculture and Food IT Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali ENSE LV Ministry of Agriculture LT Ministry of Agriculture LU Ministère de l agriculture HU National Institute for Agricultural Quality Control MT Agricultural Service Laboratories NL Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries Naktuinbouw AT AGES PL COBORU General Inspectorate of Plant Inspection and Seed

6 Service PT Ministerio de Agricultura SI Ministry of Agriculture SK Central Institute for Testing in Agriculture (UKSUP) FI Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry SE Swedish Board of Agriculture UK DEFRA 2 NO Norwegian Food Safety Institute CPVO Community Plant Variety Office COM European Commission 6