The Seed Marketing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 No. 244

SCHEDULE 2 N.I. Certification requirements

PART 1 N.I. Beet

Interpretation of Part 1 N.I.

1.  In this Part—

(a) “monogerm seed” means seed that is genetically monogerm; and

(b) “precision seed” means seed designed for use in precision drills to produce single seedlings.

Permitted types of beet seed N.I.

2.  Beet seed must be—

(a) pre-basic seed;

(b) basic seed; or

(c) certified seed.

Meaning of “pre-basic” seed N.I.

3.  Pre-basic seed is seed—

(a) produced from a generation prior to pre-basic seed by or under the responsibility of the breeder according to well-defined practices for the maintenance of the variety; and

(b) intended for the production of—

(i) more pre-basic seed;

(ii) basic seed; or

(iii) with the breeder's written authority, certified seed.

Meaning of “basic seed” N.I.

4.  Basic seed is seed—

(a) produced under the responsibility of the breeder according to well-defined practices for the maintenance of the variety; and

(b) intended for the production of certified seed.

Meaning of “certified seed” N.I.

5.  Certified seed is seed that is of direct descent from basic seed and is intended for the production of beet.

Crop and seed requirements N.I.

6.—(1) Crop inspections by official or licensed crop inspectors must be carried out in accordance with Article 2(3)(A) [F1 (a) to (d)] of, and Annex I(A) to, Council Directive 2002/54/EC on the marketing of beet seed, and the crop must satisfy the conditions in that Annex.

(2) The seed produced by the crop must be sampled in accordance with Article 9(2) of, and Annex II to, that Directive, and must satisfy the conditions in Annex I(B) to that Directive.

(3) It must be labelled in accordance with [F2 Schedule 3].

(4) The maximum moisture content must not exceed 15% by weight.

(5) Diseases and harmful organisms that reduce the usefulness of the seed must be at the lowest possible level.

[F3 (6) For the purposes of this paragraph, Council Directive 2002/54/EC is to be read as if—

(a) in Article 2(3)(A)(a)(iii), for “officially licensed by the seed certification authority of the member State concerned”, there were substituted “ licensed by the Department ”;

(b) in Annex I—

(i) in point A—

(aa) in paragraph 3, for “certification authority” there were substituted “ Department ”;

(bb) in the last paragraph, for the words from “the common” to “that Directive”, there were substituted “ United Kingdom National List ”;

(ii) in point B, in paragraph 3(c)—

(aa) the reference to “member States” were a reference to “The Department”;

(bb) the reference to “Community” were omitted.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in Sch. 2 para. 6(1) inserted (31.12.2020) by The Marketing of Seeds and Plant Propagating Material (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/211), regs. 1(1), 50(a)(i); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

F2 Words in Sch. 2 para. 6(3) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Marketing of Seeds and Plant Propagating Material (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/211), regs. 1(1), 50(a)(ii); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

F3 Sch. 2 para. 6(6) inserted (31.12.2020) by The Marketing of Seeds and Plant Propagating Material (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/211), regs. 1(1), 50(a)(iii); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)