EC on equivalence of field inspections carried out in Ukraine on cereal seed-producing crops and cereal seed produced in Ukraine - Main contents

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dossier	COM(2020)137 - Amending decision 2003/17/EC on equivalence of field inspections carried out in Ukraine on cereal seed-producing crops and ...
document	COM(2020)137
date	October 21, 2020

table>(1)Council Decision 2003/17/EC (3) provides that, under certain conditions, field inspections carried out on certain seed-producing crops in the third countries listed in Annex I to that Decision are to be considered equivalent to field inspections carried out in accordance with Union law and that, under certain conditions, the seed of certain species of cereal produced in those third countries is to be considered equivalent to seed produced in accordance with Union law.

(2)	Ukraine has submitted a request to the Commission for the granting of equivalence to its system of field inspections of cereal seed-producing crops and to cereal seed produced and certified in Ukraine.

(3)

The Commission examined the relevant legislation of Ukraine, and, on the basis of an audit carried out in 2015 concerning the system of official controls and of certification of cereal seed in Ukraine, and its equivalence with Union requirements, published its findings in a report entitled ‘Final report of an audit carried out in Ukraine from 26 May 2015 to 4 June 2015 in order to evaluate the system of official controls and certification of cereal seed and their equivalence with European Union requirements’.

(4)

Following the audit, it has been concluded that field inspections of seed-producing crops, sampling, testing and official post-controls of cereal seed are carried out appropriately and satisfy the conditions set out in Annex II to Decision 2003/17/EC and the respective requirements set out in Council Directive 66/402/EEC (4). Moreover, it has been concluded that the national authorities responsible for the implementation of seed certification in Ukraine are competent and operate appropriately.

(5)	Therefore it is appropriate to grant equivalence as regards field inspections carried out in respect of cereal seed-producing crops in Ukraine, and as regards cereal seed produced in Ukraine and officially certified by its authorities.

(6)	Decision 2003/17/EC should therefore be amended accordingly,