PURPOSE: to grant equivalence with EU requirements for fodder plant seed produced in the Republic of Moldova and officially certified by its authorities, and for beet, sunflower and rape seed produced in Ukraine and officially certified by its authorities.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: Council Decision 2003/17/EC grants equivalence to certain non-EU countries as regards field inspections and production of seed of certain species that are carried out in accordance with Council Directives 66/401/EEC, 66/402/EEC, 2002/54/EC, 2002/55/EC and 2002/57/EC.

Moldova is included in those non-EU countries since 2018 as regards cereal seed, vegetable seed and seed of oil and fibre plants. In 2022, it submitted a request to the Commission that fodder plant seed is covered by the equivalence set out in Council Decision 2003/17/EC.

Ukraine is included in those non-EU countries since 2020 as regards cereal seed. In 2022 Ukraine submitted a request to the Commission that seed of beet, sunflower and swede rape is covered by the equivalence set out in Council Decision 2003/17/EC. In 2023, Ukraine submitted an additional request for seed of soya bean.

Following those requests, the Commission examined the applicable legislations of Moldova and of Ukraine. It concluded that the requirements and systems in place in those countries are equivalent to the ones of the Union and offer the same assurance as the Union’s system.

CONTENT: the proposal grants equivalence to applicable Union law :

(a) as regards field inspections carried out in respect of fodder plant seed-producing crops in Moldova, and as regards fodder plant seed produced in Moldova and officially certified by its authorities; and

(b) as regards field inspections carried out in respect of seed-producing crops of beet, sunflower, swede rape and soya bean in Ukraine, and as regards seed of beet, sunflower, swede rape and soya bean produced in Ukraine and officially certified by its authorities.

The proposal will stimulate seed trade between Moldova and the EU and between Ukraine and the EU. It will allow companies that are entitled to multiply varieties included in the EU common catalogue of varieties to invest in seed production capacities in those countries.