The European Parliament adopted by 416 votes to 61, with 136 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the production and marketing of forest reproductive material, amending Regulations (EU) 2016/2031 and 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 1999/105/EC (Regulation on forest reproductive material).
The European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure amends the proposal as follows:
Subject matter
The proposed Regulation sets out rules concerning the production and marketing of forest reproductive material (‘FRM’) and in particular requirements for the approval of basic material intended for the production of FRM, the origin and traceability of that basic material, FRM categories, requirements for FRM identity and quality, certification, labelling, packaging, imports, professional operators, the registration of basic material, official controls and the national contingency plans.
This Regulation applies to FRM of the tree species and artificial hybrids, listed in Annex I, with a view to being marketed. It should aim to:
- ensure the production and marketing of high-quality FRM in the Union and the correct functioning of the internal market in FRM;
- help create resilient and productive forests, conserve biodiversity, prevent the use of invasive species and restore forest ecosystems and their functioning, inter alia, by promoting interspecific and intraspecific genetic variation.
Requirements applicable to the marketing of FRM derived from approved basic material
FRMs of forest tree species and their artificial hybrids listed in Annex I, which are or contain genetically modified organisms, could only be marketed under the following conditions: (i) the material is approved by the competent authority; (ii) it bears a label stating "New genomic techniques".
Production from basic material
Traceability should be ensured from the collection of FRM up to the marketing to the end user.
Professional operators should notify the competent authority of their intention to harvest forest reproductive material prior to harvesting in order to allow the competent authority to organise controls. They should submit to the competent authority records documenting the harvest of the FRM. Removal from the place of harvest is only permitted with a master certificate.
Each Member State should establish and update a national list of issued master certificates and make that list available to the Commission and competent authorities.
Packaging
Professional operators should be authorised by the competent authority to issue and print the official label under official supervision for certain species and categories of FRM, if all requirements defined by the competent authority are fulfilled, and after an audit of the competent authority determines they have the necessary competence, infrastructure and resources. That authorisation is necessary due to the official character of the official label and to guarantee the highest possible quality standards for the users of FRM. This will give more flexibility to the professional operators in relation to the subsequent marketing of that FRM. Rules should be set out for the withdrawal or modification of that authorisation.
To maintain the quality of seeds, the packages should be designed to become unserviceable once opened, thus ensuring that users are aware of any tampering with the seeds and encouraging them to use the entire content properly, thereby avoiding the seeds being stored incorrectly or used when they are likely to have become spoiled.
Imports from third countries
FRM may be imported from third countries to the Union only if it is established, that it fulfils requirements equivalent to those applicable to FRM produced and marketed in the Union. This is necessary in order to ensure that such imported FRM affords the same level of quality as the FRM produced in the Union. That approach will ensure that FRM imports not only meet Union standards but also that they contribute to plant genetic diversity and sustainability.