The Member States shall require that an official label in one of the official languages of the Community, conforming to the specification in Annex IV, be affixed on the outside of packages and bundles of propagating material by means of the sealing device. The colour of the label shall be white with a diagonal violet stripe for initial material, white for basic material, blue for certified material and dark yellow for standard material.

However, Member States may authorise producers in their territory to market more than one package or bundle of grafted or rooted vines with the same characteristics, using a single label conforming to the specification in Annex IV. In such cases, the packages or bundles shall be attached together in such a way that the attachment is damaged on separation and can no longer be put back. The label shall be affixed by means of the attachment. No resealing shall be authorised.

Without prejudice to Article 23(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999, Member States may require that each delivery of material produced within their territories also be accompanied by a uniform document featuring the following particulars inter alia: the nature of the goods, the variety and, where applicable, the clone, the category, quantity, consignor and recipient. The conditions to be set regarding this accompanying document shall be established according to the procedure provided for under Article 17(3) of this Directive.

The official label provided for under paragraph 1 may also include the phytosanitary accompanying documents, provided for in Commission Directive 92/105/EEC6, which establishes a degree of standardisation for plant passports. However, all of the conditions applicable to the official labelling and plant passports are defined and must be recognised as equivalent.

Member States shall prescribe that the official labels must be preserved by the recipient of the material for the vegetative propagation of the vine for at least one year and made available to the official control authority.

By 23 February 2004, the Commission shall draw up a report, together with proposals, if appropriate, on the movement of material for the propagation of the vine and in particular on the use of official labels and the accompanying documents introduced by the Member States.