Council Directive 70/457/EEC on the common catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant species.

This Directive concerns the acceptance for inclusion in a common catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant species in order to ensure the purchasers that they receive seeds of uniform quality standard. The standards include checks on varieties and purity of seeds. The varieties concerned are beet, fodder plant, cereal, potato and oil and fibre plant whose seed may be marketed. The common catalogue of varieties shall be compiled on the basis of national catalogues of Member States. Each Member State shall establish one or more catalogues of the varieties officially accepted for certification and marketing in its territory. The Member States shall ensure that a variety is accepted only if it is distinct, stable and sufficiently uniform. The variety must be of satisfactory value for cultivation and use. The catalogue of varieties and any amendments made to it shall be sent forthwith to the other Member States and the Commission. (26 articles)