Law No. HO-345-N “On seeds and seedlings.”

This Law regulates relations related to the registration, production, reproduction, certification, transportation, storage, sale and use of plant varieties and hybrids with permission for use. This law applies to all types of local and imported crops, ornamental plants, wild meadow fodder and forest plant seeds, planting material intended for production or reproduction. This Law is not applicable in the case of registration, production, reproduction, certification, transportation, storage, sale and use of varieties and hybrids considered genetically modified organisms obtained by genetic engineering. For the purpose of use and further propagation in the territory of the Republic of Armenia, those varieties and hybrids and those forms of planting material that have passed the state test of economic efficiency and are registered in the list of varieties and hybrids with permission for use are allowed. The list of authorized varieties and hybrids is maintained, approved and published at least once a year by the authorized body. The sequence (scheme) of seed cultivation and nursery production of crops is defined by the authorized body. Forms of documents for fixing varietal affiliation of seeds and planting material, purity and quality of seeds and commodity indicators of planting material shall be defined by the authorized body. The following classes of seeds are defined in order of seed production: (a) pre-basic (original) seeds; (b) basic (super-elite, elite) seeds; and (c) reproduced seeds (seeds of the first and second reproductions, hybrid first and second generations). Nursery production defines the following types of planting material: (a) starting (primary) planting material; (b) basic (super-elite, elite) planting material; (c) certified planting material; (d) reproduced planting material; and (e) ordinary planting material. The quality of seeds and the commercial quality of planting material are characterized by varietal affiliation, varietal purity, reproduction, classes and orders. Varietal affiliation and purity, class and order of seeds and planting material are determined through field research and laboratory tests. Pre-basic, basic, reproduced seeds and basic, basic, certified, reproduced and ordinary planting materials are subject to mandatory certification. The list of plant species subject to mandatory certification, the period of certification, the procedure and the forms used for this purpose shall be determined by the Government. Labelling, packaging, sorting, storage, transportation and sale of seeds and planting material are carried out in the presence of a certificate. The import of seeds and planting material of crops to the Republic of Armenia is allowed if: (a) seeds and planting material are intended for the purposes of research and variety testing, which is certified by the relevant document provided by the producer organization; and (b) the imported variety or hybrid is registered in the list of varieties and hybrids authorized for use, and the certificates of the variety belonging to the batch of seeds and planting material and the quality indicators issued by the competent organization of the exporting country are presented.