Equivalence of field inspections carried out and equivalence of seed produced: in Brazil (on fodder plant and cereal seed-producing crops, and of fodder plant and cereal seed); in Moldova (on cereal, vegetable and oil and fibre plant seed-producing crops, and of cereal seed, vegetable seed and oil and fibre plant seed)

PURPOSE: to recognise the equivalence of legal requirements and official controls of Brazil and Moldova for the certification of seeds.

PROPOSED ACT: Decision 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 Union law. The national provisions governing seed harvested and controlled in these countries afford the same assurances as regards the seed’s characteristics and the arrangements for examining it, for ensuring seed identification, for marking and for control as the provisions applicable to seed harvested and controlled within the European Union.

Since Brazil and Moldova are not among these non-EU countries, seed harvested there cannot be imported into the EU.

• Brazil submitted a request to the Commission that its fodder plant and cereal seed be covered by Council Decision 2003/17/EC as regards the equivalence of such seed.
• Moldova has submitted a request for the Commission to grant equivalence to its system of field inspections of cereal, vegetable and oil and fibre plant seed, and to cereal, vegetable and oil and fibre seed produced and certified in Moldova.

After audits of the field inspections and seed certification systems in Brazil and Moldova, the Commission concluded that the requirements and systems in place in these two countries are equivalent to the EU's and provide the same assurances.

CONTENT: the Commission proposes to amend Decision 2003/17/EC in order to:

• grant equivalence as regards field inspections carried out in respect of fodder plant and cereal seed in Brazil, and as regards fodder plant and cereal seed produced in Brazil and officially certified by its authorities;
• grant equivalence as regards field inspections carried out in respect of cereal, vegetable and oil and fibre plant seed in Moldova, and as regards cereal, vegetable and oil and fibre plant seed produced in Moldova and officially certified by its authorities.