Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 66/401/EEC of 14 June 1966 on the marketing of fodder plant seed^f1, and in particular Article 13a thereof,

Whereas:

Traditional knowledge of farmers combined with recent results from research indicate that some species of Leguminosae and Plantago lanceolata not listed in Council Directives 66/401/EEC, 66/402/EEC^f2, 2002/55/EC^f3 or 2002/57/EC^f4 (hereinafter the existing legislation), in particular when used in mixtures with species covered by the existing legislation, are interesting for fodder production permitting a balanced feeding of animals throughout the year while at the same time contributing to the rehabilitation of soils in non-arable or marginal cropping lands. It is the case for Biserrula pelecinus, Lotus glaber, Lotus uliginosus, Medicago italica, Medicago littoralis, Medicago murex, Medicago polymorpha, Medicago rugosa, Medicago scutelatta, Medicago truncatula, Ornithopus compressus, Ornithopus sativus, Plantago lanceolata, Trifolium fragiferum, Trifolium glanduliferum, Trifolium hirtum, Trifolium michelianum, Trifolium squarrosum, Trifolium subterraneum, Trifolium vesiculosum, and Vicia benghalensis (hereinafter species referred to in recital 1).

In accordance with the second indent of Article 13(1) of Directive 66/401/EEC only seeds of plant species listed in the existing legislation, with the exception of the varieties mentioned in Article 4(2) of Council Directive 2002/53/EC^f5, may be marketed throughout the Community in seed mixtures intended for use as fodder plants. In the absence of the possibility to market mixtures containing seed of the species referred to in recital 1, farmers wishing to make use of those species, have to transport and sow them as individual species, or in certain cases, prepare mixtures themselves at the farm, involving additional cost and work. In addition, there is an increased risk that the different species included in the mixture will be unevenly distributed on the field since the mixtures are not prepared by professionals.

To allow the species referred to in recital 1 to be marketed in such mixtures it would be necessary to amend Article 2(1)(A) of Directive 66/401/EEC by including those species in that provision.

In order to decide about such an amendment to Article 2(1)(A) of Directive 66/401/EEC, it is necessary to gather information on the marketing of mixtures containing the species referred to in recital 1. In particular it needs to be verified, whether, where those species are used in mixtures, it is possible to confirm by official post-control that the percentage of seed of each component indicated on the label of the package corresponds to the composition of the mixture and whether mixtures of the same lot are homogeneous in all packages marketed. In the absence of that information, it would be impossible to guarantee to users that the seed of mixtures containing species referred to in recital 1 will provide high-quality results.

It is therefore appropriate to organise a temporary experiment to verify whether the species referred to in recital 1 fulfil the requirements for being included in Article 2(1)(A) of Directive 66/401/EEC.

Member States participating in the experiment should be released from the obligations set out in the second indent of Article 13(1) of Directive 66/401/EEC with respect to the species referred to in recital 1. They should allow the placing on the market of mixtures containing those species under certain conditions.

It is appropriate to provide for specific requirements for the certification of the species referred to in recital 1 in order to ensure that the seed of these species fulfils the same requirements in all participating Member States. These requirements should be based on the conditions set out in OECD Certification Schemes for the Varietal Certification or the Control of Seed Moving in International Trade (hereinafter: OECD Schemes) or in the national standards of the Member State in which the seed is produced.

In addition to the general conditions provided for in Commission Decision 2004/371/EC of 20 April 2004 on conditions for the placing on the market of seed mixtures intended for use as fodder plants^f6, specific conditions should be set out for the marketing of mixtures under the experiment. Those conditions should ensure the collection of sufficient information for the assessment of the experiment. It is, therefore, necessary to provide for rules on labelling, monitoring and reporting.

Given the experimental nature of the measure provided for by this Decision, a maximum quantity for the marketing of seed mixtures should be fixed, taking into account the need to test different mixtures using existing facilities.

To allow Member States to verify that the maximum quantity is not exceeded, firms intending to produce such seed mixtures should communicate to the Member States concerned the quantities they intend to produce. Member States should have the possibility to prohibit the marketing of seed mixtures where they consider this necessary in view of the need to test different mixtures without exceeding the maximum quantity.

In order to allow suppliers to produce and market a sufficient quantity of seed and to permit the competent authorities to inspect that material and collect sufficient and comparable information to be used for the preparation of the report, the experiment should take place over a period of at least five marketing seasons.

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,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: