Council Directive 2002/53/EC on the common catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant species.

The present Directive concerns the acceptance for inclusion in a common catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant species of those varieties of beet, fodder plant, cereal, potato and oil and fibre plant the seed of which may be marketed under provisions of the Directives regulating respectively the marketing of beet seed (2002/54/EC), fodder plant seed (66/401/EEC), cereal seed (66/402/EC), seed potatoes (2002/56/EC) and seed of oil and fibre plants (2002/57/EC). The common catalogue of varieties is to be compiled on the basis of the national catalogues of the Member States. This Directive, however, shall not apply to varieties, the seed or propagating material of which are intended for export to third countries. As prescribed by article 3, each Member State shall establish one or more catalogues of the varieties officially accepted for certification and marketing within its territory. Any person shall be entitled to consult the catalogues. Member States shall ensure that a specific variety is accepted only if it is distinct, stable and sufficiently uniform. Moreover, the variety must be of satisfactory value for cultivation and use. Article 5 specifies with detail the meaning of distinct , stable and sufficiently uniform for the purposes of inclusion of a particular variety in the common catalogue. Further provisions regard the official examinations upon which varieties shall be accepted for inclusion in the catalogue (art. 7), application (art. 10), revocation of acceptance (art. 12).