Article 16U.K.
1.The Council, acting by a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission, shall determine whether:
(a)in the case provided for in Article 15, the field inspections in the third country satisfy the conditions laid down in Annex I;
[F1(b) cereal seed harvested in a third country and affording the same assurances as regards its characteristics and the arrangements for its examination, for ensuring identity, for marking and for control is equivalent in these respects to seed harvested within the Community and complying with the provisions of this Directive.]
[F22. Member States may themselves take decisions under paragraph 1 concerning a third country, in so far as the Council has not yet taken a decision with regard to that country within the framework of this Directive. This right shall expire on 1 July 1975 .]
[F33. Paragraphs 1 and 2 shall also apply in respect of any new Member State from the date of its accession to the date on which it is to bring into force the laws, regulations or administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive.]
[F44. Paragraph 1 shall also apply to the territory of the former German Democratic Republic until 31 December 1991 . Detailed rules may be adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 21.]
Textual Amendments
F1 Substituted by Council Directive 2004/117/EC of 22 December 2004 amending Directives 66/401/EEC, 66/402/EEC, 2002/54/EC, 2002/55/EC and 2002/57/EC as regards examinations carried out under official supervision and equivalence of seed produced in third countries.
F2 Inserted by Council Directive of 11 December 1973 amending the Directives of 14 June 1966 on the marketing of beet seed, fodder plant seed, cereal seed and seed potatoes; the Directive of 30 June 1969 on the marketing of seed of oil and fibre plants; and the Directives of 29 September 1970 on the marketing of vegetable seed and on the common catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant species (73/438/EEC).
F3 Inserted by Council Directive of 20 July 1972 amending the Directives of 14 June 1966 on the marketing of beet seed, fodder plant seed, cereal seed, seed potatoes, the Directive of 30 June 1969 on the marketing of seed of oil and fibre plants and the Directives of 29 September 1970 on the marketing of vegetable seed and on the common catalogue of varieties of agricultural species (72/274/EEC).