Directive 1966/402 - Marketing of cereal seed - Main contents

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Council Directive 66/402/EEC of 14 June 1966 on the marketing of cereal seed /* CODIFIED VERSION CF 374Y0608(03) */

Official Journal 125 , 11/07/1966 P. 2309 - 2319

Danish special edition: Series I Chapter 1965-1966 P. 0125

English special edition: Series I Chapter 1965-1966 P. 0143

Greek special edition: Chapter 03 Volume 2 P. 0003

Spanish special edition: Chapter 03 Volume 1 P. 0185

Portuguese special edition Chapter 03 Volume 1 P. 0185

Finnish special edition: Chapter 3 Volume 1 P. 0142

Swedish special edition: Chapter 3 Volume 1 P. 0142

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 14 June 1966 on the marketing of cereal seed (66/402/EEC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Articles 43 and 100 thereof;

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission;

Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament ; 1

Having regard to the Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee;

Whereas cereal production occupies an important place in the agriculture of the European Economic Community;

Whereas satisfactory results in cereal cultivation depend to a large extent on the use of appropriate seed ; whereas to this end certain Member States have for some time restricted the marketing of cereal seed to high-quality seed ; whereas they have been able to take advantage of the systematic plant selection work carried out over several decades which has resulted in the development of sufficiently stable and uniform cereal varieties which, by reason of their characters, promise to be of great value for the purposes in view;

Whereas greater productivity will be obtained in Community cereal cultivation if for the choice of the varieties permitted to be marketed the Member States apply uniform rules which are as strict as possible;

Whereas it is, however, justifiable to restrict marketing to certain varieties only if the farmer can be sure of actually obtaining seed of those varieties;

Whereas certain Member States have for this purpose been applying certification schemes which are intended by official control to ensure identity and varietal purity;

Whereas such schemes already exist at international level ; whereas the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations has recommended minimum standards for the certification of maize seed in European and Mediterranean countries ; whereas, furthermore, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has established a scheme for the varietal certification of herbage seed moving in international trade;

Whereas it is desirable to establish a uniform certification scheme for the Community based on the experience gained in the application of those schemes;

Whereas the scheme should apply to marketing both in other Member States and on domestic markets;

Whereas, as a general rule, cereal seed should be allowed to be marketed only if it has been officially examined and certified, in accordance with the rules for certification, as basic seed or certified seed ; whereas the choice of the technical terms "basic seed" and "certified seed" is based on already existing international terminology;

Whereas cereal seed which is not placed on the market should not, in view of its minor economic importance, be subject to Community rules ; whereas Member States must retain the right to make such seed subject to special provisions;

Whereas Community rules should not apply to seed shown to be intended for export to third countries;

Whereas, in order to improve not only the genetic quality of Community cereal seed but also its external characters, certain conditions must be laid down as to analytical purity, germination and health status;

1 OJ No 109, 9.7.1964, p. 1760/64. Whereas, in order to ensure the identity of the seed, Community rules on packaging, sampling, sealing and marking must be established ; whereas to this end the labels...

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