According to the rapporteur, there were functional differences within the EU as regards the placing on the market of plant protection products; the Directive sought to harmonise the conditions for the protection of products. Mr ANOVEROS pointed out that the certificate was a national and legal instrument relating to intellectual property in a specific sector and that the mechanism restored competition without damaging the agricultural sector. Commissioner MONTI outlined the Commission’s position on the EP’s 9 amendments. It supported Amendments Nos 1, 2, 3 and 4 as they helped to clarify the legal and economic context of the EU’s plant protection industry. However, it could not take over the other 5 amendments: Amendments Nos 6 and 8 related to other Community policies that were outside the scope of this Regulation; Amendments Nos 5, 7 and 9 could hamper the impact of the Regulation if they were taken over.