Article 21

The conditions under which bred seed of generations prior to basic seed may be placed on the market under the first indent of Article 4 shall be as follows:

1. (a)

   it must have been officially inspected by the competent certification authority in accordance with the provisions applicable to the certification of basic seed;

2. (b)

   it must be packed in accordance with this Directive, and

3. (c)

   the packages must bear an official label giving at least the following particulars:

   • certification authority and Member State or their distinguishing abbreviation,

   • lot reference number,

   • month and year of sealing, or

   • month and year of the last official sampling for the purposes of certification,

   • species, indicated at least in roman characters, under its botanical name, which may be given in abridged form and without the authors' names, or under its common name, or both; indication whether sugar beet or fodder beet,

   • variety, indicated at least in roman characters,

   • the description ‘pre-basic seed’,

   • number of generations preceding seed of the category ‘certified seed’.

The label shall be white with a diagonal violet line.