Directive 98/56/EC provides for the necessary arrangements to be made by the Commission for Community comparative trials and tests of propagating material.

The technical arrangements for the carrying out of the trials and tests have been made within the Standing Committee for Propagating Material of Ornamental Plants.

The proposals have been assessed according to the selection and awarding criteria set out in the call for projects. The projects, the bodies responsible for the carrying out of tests and trials and the eligible costs as well as the maximum Community financial contribution corresponding to 80 % of the eligible costs should be established.

Community comparative trials and tests should be carried out in the years 2005 and 2006 on propagating material harvested in 2004, and the details of such trials and tests, the eligible costs as well as the maximum Community financial contribution should also be set out yearly by an agreement signed by the authorising officer of the Commission and the body responsible for carrying out of trials.

For Community comparative trials and tests lasting more than one year, the parts of the trials and tests following the first year should be authorised by the Commission without further reference to the Standing Committee on Propagating Material of Ornamental Plants, on condition that the necessary appropriations are available.

Adequate representation of the samples included in the trials and tests should be ensured, at least for certain selected plants.

Member States should participate in the Community comparative trials and tests, in so far as propagating material of the plants concerned are usually reproduced or marketed in their territories, in order to ensure that proper conclusions may be drawn there from.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee for Propagating Material of Ornamental Plants,