The Cereal Seeds (Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2000

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Cereal Seeds Regulations 1993, S.I. 1993/2005 (“the principal Regulations”), as amended by S.I. 1995/1482, 1997/616, 1999/1860.

The amendments to the principal Regulations implement Commission Directive 99/8/EC (O.J. No. L 50, 26.2.99, p.26) and Commission Directive 99/54/EC (O.J. No. L 142, 5.6.99, p.30) amending Council Directive 66/402/EEC (O.J. No. L 125, 11.7.66, p.2309/66) (O.J./SE 1965-66, p.143) on the marketing of cereal seed and give effect to Council Directive 98/95/EC (O.J No. L 25, 1.2.99, p.1) in respect of the consolidation of the internal market, genetically modified plant resources and plant genetic resources and Council Directive 98/96/EC (O.J No. L 25, 1.2.99, p.27) amending, as regards unofficial field inspections, directives in respect of the marketing of seeds and the common catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant species. The directives in respect of the marketing of seeds amended by Council Directive 98/95/EC and Council Directive 98/96/EC include Council Directive 66/402/EEC (O.J. No. L 125, 11.7.66, p.2309/66) (O.J./SE 1965-66, p.143) on the marketing of cereal seed (last amended by Council Directive 99/54/EC (O.J. No. L 142, 5.6.99. p.30).

These amending Regulations–

(a) amend definitions in the principal Regulations, including the definitions of “marketing” and “official examination” (regulation 4);

(b) include provisions in relation to marketing and marketing authorisations, tests and trials, seed as grown, selection work and other scientific purposes; and make consequential amendments to regulation 4 (regulations 5 and 6);

(c) include provisions in relation to the marketing of genetically modified seeds (regulation 6);

(d) amend regulation 9 to make provision in relation to clear indications for genetically modified varieties (regulation 7);

(e) amend Schedule 4 to reduce the minimum germination requirement for triticale from 85% to 80%, introduce sample purity standards for certified seed and to make provision for the marketing of seeds of hybrids of self polluting varieties of triticale as Basic Seed and Certified Seed and to establish, in respect of such hybrids and hybrids of oats, barley, wheat, durum wheat and spelt wheat, conditions to be met both by crops from which seeds are obtained and by the seeds themselves (regulation 8); and

(f) amend Schedule 6 to make provision for the supply of information about imported seeds and amend provisions in respect of small packages (regulation 9).