Regulations on plant quarantine.

These Regulations aim at protecting plants from diseases, dangerous insects and weeds. The performance of quarantine inspections is entrusted to the competent agricultural and forestry departments at the central and local level. On the basis of said inspections, the departments shall draw up a list of plants and plant products to be classified as plant quarantine objects. An area where a plant quarantine object occurs shall be designated as an epidemic area, and preventive measures shall then be taken so as to prevent the plant quarantine object from spreading out. Plants and plant products are subject to quarantine inspections before they are transported from a county administration area where an epidemic is occurring; plant seeds, seedlings or other propagating material, whether they are listed or not in the quarantine catalogues, are subject to inspection before their transportation. Plants and plant products which must be subject to quarantine inspection specified in article 7 of these Regulations shall be transported or posted by the transportation department and the post department on the strength of the quarantine certificates. The quarantine certificates shall be transmitted along with goods. The breeding and propagating units of plant seeds, seedlings or other propagating materials must establish seeds and seedling bases and maternal tree breeding bases free of plant quarantine objects in a planned way. Any unit importing seeds and seedlings from foreign countries shall make an application to the competent plant quarantine organ. Seeds, seedlings and other propagating materials for import which are suspected of carrying dangerous diseases and insect must be isolated for trial planting. Only after approval by the plant quarantine organs through investigation, observation and quarantine inspections that they are free of dangerous diseases and insect can they be distributed for planting. For newly discovered quarantine objects and other dangerous diseases, insect and weeds, the plant quarantine organs must conduct a timely investigation of the situation, report at once to the competent departments at the central and local level as well as take measures for a complete eradication. Final provisions establish penalties to be applied in case of contravention.