The Oil and Fibre Plant Seeds Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009

Varietal associations of seed

23.—(1) The prohibition in regulation 15(1) shall not apply to the marketing of a varietal association of seeds—

(a) to which these Regulations apply, and

(b) the female and male components of which—

(i) have been dressed using a different coloured dressing, and

(ii) have been mechanically combined in the proportions notified to the Department, the Secretary of State, the Scottish Ministers, the National Assembly for Wales, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development or the competent seed certification authority in another member State by the person responsible for the maintenance of the pollinator-dependent hybrid (the female component) and pollinator (the male component) within the varietal association.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), the person responsible for the maintenance of the pollinator-dependent hybrid and pollinator within a varietal association may notify the Department of the proportions of the pollinator-dependent hybrid and pollinator within the varietal association.

(3) In a case where different persons are responsible for the maintenance of the pollinator-dependent hybrid and pollinator within a varietal association, those persons may notify the Department of the proportions of the pollinator-dependent hybrid and pollinator agreed by them within the varietal association.

(4) A notification given under paragraph (2) or (3) shall be made in such form and manner as the Department may require and be accompanied by such information and other documents as the Department may require.

(5) The Department shall acknowledge the receipt of each notification that the Department receives under paragraph (2) or (3).

(6) In this regulation—

“pollinator-dependent hybrid” means a male-sterile component within a varietal association;

“pollinator” means a component shedding pollen within a varietal association; and

“varietal association” means an association of officially certified CS seed of a specified pollinator-dependent hybrid variety accepted on to a National List or the Common Catalogue with officially certified CS seed of one or more specified pollinator varieties accepted on to a National List or the Common Catalogue.