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Authorisations for Equivalence

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  3. Authorisations for Equivalence

Details of the formal recognition of EU member states, Switzerland and EEA countries as equivalent in the production of seed and other propagating material and the maintenance of varieties.

This page refers to equivalence for EU, Switzerland and EEA countries only. All third countries currently recognised by the EU as equivalent for seed certification continue to be recognised as equivalent by the UK (GB). 

Variety registration requirements must be met before material can be marketed in Great Britain.

Authorisation for the marketing of seed and other propagating material produced in an EU member states, Switzerland and EEA countries into Great Britain from 1 January 2021

Seed of beet, cereals, fodder plants, oil and fibre and vegetables

Authorisation for the marketing of seed of beet, cereals, fodder plants, oil and fibre and vegetables produced in the countries listed in Table 1, and where that country is a member of the relevant OECD Seed Scheme, is granted in England, Wales and Scotland.  Field inspection of seed producing crops and certification of seed must meet the requirements of the relevant OECD Seed Scheme for the Varietal Certification of Seed moving in International Trade.  Field inspection and seed production in those countries is carried out under conditions considered equivalent to the following relevant legislation.

England

Seed Marketing Regulations 2011

Wales

Seed Marketing (Wales) Regulations 2012

Scotland

Vegetable Seeds Regulations 1993

Oil and Fibre Plant Seed (Scotland) Regulations 2004

Cereal Seed (Scotland) Regulations 2005

Fodder Plant Seed (Scotland) Regulations 2005

Beet Seed (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 2010

Seed shall meet the conditions described in the relevant legislation (other than those relating to varietal identity and purity).  Examination of seed to check that these conditions have been met shall be carried out officially or under official supervision in accordance with ISTA Rules. For the purpose of the examination, samples shall be taken officially or under official supervision in accordance with ISTA Rules, and their weights shall conform to the weight stipulated under such methods, considering the weights specified in the relevant legislation.  

Seed lots shall be accompanied by an ISTA Orange International Seed Lot Certificate.

Further guidance on the conditions to be met will be issued in due course.

Seed potatoes

Seed potato production and certification carried out in EU member states, Switzerland or EEA countries is not currently recognised as equivalent to the requirements of GB legislation. Therefore, no authorisations for the marketing of seed potatoes in GB are currently granted for seed potatoes produced in those countries.

Vegetable plant material

Authorisation for the marketing of vegetable plant material produced in the countries, as indicated in Table 1, is granted in England, Wales and Scotland.  Production is carried out under conditions considered equivalent to the requirements in the following legislation, in those countries.  The marketing of vegetable plant material will be acceptable under the labelling requirements of the country producing it.

England

The Marketing of Vegetable Plant Material Regulations 1995

Wales

The Marketing of Vegetable Plant Material Regulations 1995

Scotland

The Marketing of Vegetable Plant Material Regulations 1995

Fruit plant and propagating material

Authorisation for the marketing of fruit plant and propagating material produced in the countries, as indicated in Table 1, is granted in England, Wales and Scotland.  Production and certification (where it applies) is carried out under conditions considered equivalent to the requirements in the following legislation, in those countries.  The marketing of fruit plant and propagating material will be acceptable under the labelling requirements of the country producing it.

England

The Marketing of Fruit Plant and Propagating Material (England) Regulations 2017

Wales

The Marketing of Fruit Plant and Propagating Material (Wales) Regulations 2017

Scotland

The Marketing of Fruit Plant and Propagating Material (Scotland) Regulations 2017

Forest Reproductive Material

Authorisation for the marketing of forest reproductive material produced in the European Union countries listed in Table 2, that are members of the OECD Scheme for the certification of forest reproductive material moving in international trade, is granted in England, Wales and Scotland in compliance with the following legislation.

Authorisation for the marketing of forest reproductive material produced in the countries listed in Table 3, that are members of the OECD Scheme for the certification of forest reproductive material moving in international trade and are already recognised as equivalent by the EU, is granted to allow the continued marketing of forest reproductive material in England, Wales and Scotland in compliance with the following legislation, from those countries.

Great Britain

The Forest Reproductive Material (Great Britain) Regulations 2002

Maintenance of varieties

For species covered by the Seeds (National List of Varieties) Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/3510), the official checks on the maintenance of varieties carried out by countries, as indicated in table 1, are assessed as affording the same guarantees as those under the National List regulations.  This means that pre-basic and basic seed produced in these countries may be used for further seed production in England, Wales and Scotland.

Period of Validity

This authorisation is valid until 31st December 2029, except for seed potatoes where recognition for marketing into England and Wales ceased on 30 June 2021.

Right to Audit

Defra, Scottish Government and Welsh Government reserve the right to audit recognised countries if there are issues with quality.

Table 1 EU member states, Switzerland and EEA countries meeting requirements for equivalence for seed of beet, cereals, fodder plants, oil and fibre and vegetables, based on OECD membership, and seed potatoes, including for variety maintenance, and for vegetable plant material and fruit plant and propagating material.

 

Maintenance of Varieties: For species covered by the Seeds (National List of Varieties) Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/3510), the official checks on the maintenance of varieties carried out by the countries indicated below are assessed as affording the same guarantees as those under the National List regulations.

 OECD Seed Schemes for the Varietal Certification of Seed moving in International Trade

Country

Certifying Authority

Grasses and Legumes

Crucifers and other oil and fibre species

Cereals

Beet

Maize

Vegetables

Vegetable

 plant material

Fruit and plant propagating material

Austria

Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Vienna

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Belgium

Ministere de la Region de Bruxelles-Capitale Administration de   l’Economie et de l’Emploi Cellule Agriculture, Bruxelles

 

Vlaamse Overheid Agentschap voor Landbouw en Visserij   Productkwaliteitsbeheer Ellips, Brussels

 

Service Public de Wallonie Direction Générale Operationnelle   Agriculture, Ressources Naturelles et Environnement Département du   Développement, Namur

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Bulgaria

Executive Agency for Variety Testing, Field Inspection and Seed   Control, Sofia

x

x

x

x

x

 

x

 x

Croatia

Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food - Center for Seed and   Seedlings, Osijek

x

x

x

x

x

 

x

 x

Cyprus

Department of Agriculture Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development   & Environment, Nicosi

x

x

 

 

 

x

x

 x

Czech Republic

Central Institute for Supervising & Testing in Agriculture Seed   and Planting Materials Division, Prah

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

 x

Denmark

Ministry of Environment and Food The Danish Agricultural Agency,   Copenhagen

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

 x

Estonia

Agricultural Board, Saku

x

x

x

 

x

x

x

 x

Finland

Finnish Food Authority, Loima

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

 x

France

Service officiel de contrôle et de certification des semences et plants (SOC), 44 rue du Louvre 75001 PARIS

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

 x

Germany

Bundessortenamt, Hannover 

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

 x

Greece

Ministry of Rural Development & Food Directorate General of Sustainable Plant Production Directorate of Plant Genetic Resources and Propagating Material of Cultivated Plant Species Department A1 (Department of Propagating Material of Agricultural Crops, Vegetables, Ornamentals, Aromatic and Pharmaceutical Plants), Athen

x

x

x

x

x

 

x

 x

Hungary

National Food Chain Safety Office (NEBIH) Department of Seed Certification, Budapest

x

x

x

x

x

 

x

 x

Ireland

Crop Policy, Evaluation and Certification Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Kildar

x

x

x

x

 

 

x

 x

Italy

CREA-DC, Milan

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

 X

Lativa

State Plant Protection Service Seed Control Department, Rig

x

 

x

 

 

 

x

 X

Lithuania

State Plant Service Ministry of Agriculture, Vilnius

x

x

x

 

 

 

x

 X

Luxembourg

Ministère de l'Agriculture, de la Viticulture et du Développement Rural, Luxembourg

x

x

x

x

 

x

 x

 x

 Malta

Seed and other Propagation Material Unit (SPMU), Plant Health Directorate, Ministry for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change, Lija

 

 

 

 

 

 x

 x

 x

 Netherlands

Nederlandse Algemene Keuringdienst (NAK), Emmeloord

 x

 x

 x

 x

 x

 x

 x

 x

 Poland

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Division of Plant Breeding and Seeds, Warsaw

 x

 x

 x

 x

 x

 

 x

 x

 Portugal

Direção Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária (DGAV), Lisboa

 x

 x

 x

 x

 x

 x

 x

 x

 Romania

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development National Inspection for Quality of Seeds, Bucharestx

 x

 x

 x

 x

 x

 x

 x

 x

 Slovakia

The Central Control and Testing Institute in Agriculture in Bratislava (ÚKSÚP), Bratislava

 x

 x

 x

 x

 x

 x

 x

 x

 Slovenia

Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection, Ljubljan

 x

 x

 x

 

 x

 x

 x

 x

 Spain

Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación - Oficina Española de Variedades Vegetales (OEVV), Madrid

 x

 x

 x

 x

 x

 

 x

 x

 Sweden

 Swedish Board of Agriculture Seed, Svalov

 x

 x

 x

 x

 

 x

 x

 x

EEA or others

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Iceland

 Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority, Selfoss

 x

 x

 x

 

 

 x

 

 

 Norway

The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet), Brumunddal

 x

 x

 x

 

 

 

 

 

 Switzerland

 Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research EAER Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG Plant Health and Varieties Unit, Bern

 x

 x

 x

 

 x

 

 

 

 

Table 2: Countries meeting requirements for equivalence for Forest Reproductive Material based on OECD membership of the OECD Forest Scheme

Country

Certifying Authority

Austria

Federal Forest Office, Forest Reproductive Material,  Vienna   

Belgium

Bruxelles Environnoment – IBGE, Division Qualité de l'Environnement   et Gestion de la Nature, Département Forêt, Bruxelles

Vlaamse Overheid, Departement Landbouw en Visserij, Afdeling Voorlichting,   Doelgroepenbeleid en Kwaliteit Plant Dienst Kwaliteit Plant Ellips, Brussel

Service Public de Wallonie, Agriculture, Ressources Naturelles et   Environnoment, Département du développement, de la ruralité et des cours   d’eau et du bien-être animal, Namur

Bulgaria

Executive Forest Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forest,   Sofia

Croatia

Croatian Forest Research Institute – CFI, Division of Genetics,   Forest Tree Breeding and Seed Husbandry, Jastrebarsko

Ministry of Agriculture, Directorate for Forestry, Hunting and Wood   Industry, Sector for Forestry, Zagreb

Denmark

Ministry of Environment and Food, Danish Agricultural Agency,   København

Finland

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Resources Department,   Forests and Bionenergy Unit, Helsinki

France

Ministère de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation, DGPE/SDFE -   Sous-direction des filières forêt-bois, cheval et bioéconomie, Bureau Gestion   durable de la forêt et du bois, Paris

Germany

Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute Federal Research Institute for   Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries Institute of Forest Genetics,   Grosshansdorf

Hungary

ional Food Chain Safety Office, Directorate for Plant Production and   Horticulture, Budapest

Ireland

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Dublin

Italy

Ministry of agricultural, food and forestry policies, General   direction of forests, Rome

Netherlands

Naktuinbouw, ROELOFARENDSVEEN

Portugal

Ministério da Agricultura, Florestas e Desenvolvimento Rural,   Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas, I.P., Lisboa

Romania

“Marin Dracea” National Institute for Research and Development in   Forestry, (INCDS “Marin Dracea”), Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding   Department, Romania

Slovakia

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Section of Forestry and   Wood Processing, Bratislava 

National Forest Centre, Zvolen

Spain

Deputy Directorate General for Forest Policy, Directorate General of   Rural, Development, Innovation and Forest Policy, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE,   FISHERIES AND FOOD, Madrid

 

Spanish Plant Variety Office, General Directorate of Productions and   Agricultural markets. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT, Madrid

Sweden

Swedish Forest Agency, BORÅS

 

 

Table 3 Countries continuing to meet requirements for equivalence for Forest Reproductive Material based on OECD membership of the OECD Forest Scheme

Country

Certifying Authority

Canada

Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forestry Service, Fredericto

Norway

Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Aas Norwegian Forest Seed   Center, Hamar

Serbia

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Directorate   for Forest, Novi Beograd

Switzerland

Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and   Communications (DETEC), Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Forest   Division, Birmensdorf

Turkey

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, General Directorate of   Forestry, Forest Tree Seeds and Tree Breeding Research Institute Directorate,   Ankara

United States

Washington State Crop Improvement Association, Inc. (Official State   Certification Authorities - Authorized to issue OECD certificates through   cooperative agreement with USDA Forest Service), Washington