(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations, which amend the Oil and Fibre Plant Seeds Regulations 1985, implement article 4 of Commission Directive 87/120/EEC (OJ No. L49, 18.2.87, p.42) in so far as it amends Annex III of Council Directive 66/208/EEC (OJ No. L169, 10.7.69, p.3) (OJ/SE 1969 (ii), p.315) (as amended) on the marketing of oil and fibre plant seeds by providing that the maximum weight of a seed lot, set out in that Annex, from which a sample is to be drawn for certification shall not be exceeded by more than 5% (regulation 2(4)(b)).
These Regulations also implement article 1 of Commission Directive 86/109/EEC (OJ No. L93, 8.4.86, p.21) in so far as it amends Council Directive 66/208/EEC by prohibiting the placing on the market in Member States seed ofGlycine max(L) Merr. (soya bean) of the Commercial seed category (regulation 2(2)(a)).
The other changes of substance made by these Regulations to the 1985 Regulations are—
(1) the provisions enabling Ministers, to grant equivalence by general licence for seeds produced elsewhere than in a Member State has been extended to seeds of the Commercial seed category (regulation 2(3)(a)); and
(2) the inclusion of a requirement that a sample of seeds taken from a seed stream during processing for the purposes of an official examination shall be taken by an automatic sampling device approved by the Minister (regulation 2(4)(a)).