Decree-Law No. 42/2017 regulating the production, control, certification and marketing of seed of agricultural and horticultural species.

This Decree-Law, consisting of 61 articles divided into four Chapters and nine Annexes, regulates the production, control, certification and marketing of seed of agricultural and horticultural species, transposing EU Directives No. 2015/1168, 2015/1955, 2016/11 and 2016/317. This Decree-Law regulates in particular the following issues: a) General regime of the National Catalog of Varieties of Agricultural and Horticultural Species; b) Production, control, certification and marketing of seeds of agricultural and horticultural species other than used for ornamental purposes (mixtures of seeds for non-fodder use, mixtures intended for any vegetation cover which is used as soil protection shall not be considered for ornamental purposes). This Decree-Law transposes into national legislation: a) EU Commission Directive No. 2015/1168 of 15 July 2015 amending EU Commission Directives No. 2003/90 and No. 2003/91 of 6 October 2003 laying down detailed rules for the application of art. 7 of EU Council Directives No. 2002/53 of 13 June 2002, b) EU Commission Directive No. 2015/1955 of 29 October 2015 on the marketing of cereal seed; c) EU Commission Directive No. 2016/11 of 5 January 2016 on the marketing of seed of oil and fibrous plants; d) EU Commission Directive No. 2016/317 of 3 March 2016 for the official label on seed packages. This Decree-law also consolidates the transposition into national legislation of: a) EEC Council Directive No. 66/401 of 14 June 1966, and much more related EU legislation.
The Decree-Law is divided as follows: General provisions (Chap. I); National Variety Catalog (Chap. II); Production, control, certification and marketing of seeds of agricultural and horticultural species (Chap. III); Complementary, transitional and final provisions (Chap. IV).