Ornamental plants, marketing of propagating material SLIM (amend. direct. 93/49/EEC, 93/63/EEC, 93/78/EEC)

OBJECTIVE: to ensure the free movement of propagating material for ornamental plants throughout the territory of the European Union and to lay down minimum quality standards in this regard. COMMUNITY MEASURE: Council Directive 98/56/EC on the marketing of propagating material of ornamental plants. CONTENTS: the main elements of the Directive (recasting of the former Directive 91/682/EEC) are as follows: - requirements to be met by propagating material, - requirements to be met by suppliers of propagating material, - marketing and labelling of propagating material, - propagating material produced in third countries, - control measures. The Directive simplifies the former Directive as follows: - it clarifies the ambiguous formulation of the provision on authenticity of varieties and creates four well-defined categories by reference to which a variety may be marketed; - it provides for a less cumbersome procedure allowing material produced in third countries to be imported without a decision at Community level; - it avoids the risk of duplicating the harmonization measures under Directive 91/682/EEC and registration pursuant to the plant health Directive 77/93/EEC, as all registered producers under the latter Directive will be deemed to be also registered as suppliers of propagating material. ENTRY INTO FORCE: 1 January 1998.�