2017 No. 155
Seeds
The Seed Potatoes (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017
Made 28th July 2017
Coming into operation 1st August 2017

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 1(1) and 2(2) of the Seeds Act (Northern Ireland) 1965.
The Ministry of Agriculture became known as the Department of Agriculture by virtue of section 7(5) of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act (c.36), and was renamed the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development by Article 3(4) of the Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I 1999/283 (N.I. 1)). The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development was renamed the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs by section 1(2) of the Departments Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 c. 5 (N.I.).
1965 c.22 (N.I.). (“the 1965 Act”) Section 1 was amended by 1970 c.20 (N.I.), section 10(1) and S.R. & O.(N.I.) 1972 No. 351, article 3 and Schedule 3. Section 2 was amended by 1970 c.20 (N.I.), section 10(2) and S.R. 1977 No. 295, regulation 2. The 1965 Act apples to seed potatoes by virtue of section 12(1).

1 Citation and commencement
These Regulations may be cited as the Seed Potatoes (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017 and come into operation on 1st August 2017.

2 Amendment of the Seed Potatoes Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016
The Seed Potatoes Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 are amended in accordance with regulations 3 and 4.
S.R. 2016 No. 190.

3 Regulation 11 (labelling of packages and containers of seed potatoes)
In regulation 11(3)(a), for “paragraph 6 of Schedule 2” substitute “paragraph 5 of Schedule 2”.

4 Schedule 2 (official labels and official documents)
In Part 1 of Schedule 2 (official labels), in paragraph 1(3)(b), after the entry “Certification authority and member State or their initials”, insert “Officially assigned serial number;”.
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs on 28th July 2017.
Malcolm Beatty A senior officer of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend the Seed Potatoes Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016 No. 190) (“the principal Regulations”).
Regulation 4 implements Article 5 of Commission Implementing Directive (EU) 2016/317 (OJ L 60, 5.3.16, p 72), which amends Section (A) of Annex III to Directive 2002/56/EC, to add an “Officially assigned serial number” to the label particulars required for the official label on a package or container of basic seed potatoes under Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations.
Regulation 3 makes a minor amendment to regulation 11(3)(a) of the principal Regulations to correct an erroneous reference.