A variety shall be regarded as distinct if, whatever the origin, artificial or natural, of the initial variation from which it has resulted, it is clearly distinguishable on one or more important characteristics from any other variety known in the Community.

The characteristics of a variety must be capable of precise recognition and precise definition.

A variety known in the Community shall be any variety which, at the time when the application for the acceptance of the variety to be assessed is duly made, is:

• either listed in the common catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant species or the catalogue of varieties of vegetable species; or

• without being listed in one of those catalogues, has been accepted or submitted fro acceptance in the Member State in question or in another Member State, either for certification and marketing, or for certification for other countries,

unless the conditions are no longer fulfilled in all the Member States concerned before the decision on the application for acceptance of the variety to be assessed is taken.

A variety shall be regarded as stable if, after successive propagation or multiplications or at the end of each cycle (where the breeder has defined a particular cycle of propagation or multiplications) it remains true to the description of its essential characteristics.

A variety shall be regarded as sufficiently uniform if, apart from a very few aberrations, the plants of which it is composed are, account being taken of the distinctive features of the reproductive systems of the plants, similar or genetically identical as regards the characteristics, taken as a whole, which are considered for this purpose.

The value of a variety for cultivation or use shall be regarded as satisfactory if, compared to other varieties accepted in the catalogue of the Member State in question, its qualities, taken as a whole, offer, at least as far as production in any given region is concerned, a clear improvement either for cultivation or as regards the uses which can be made of the crops or the products derived therefrom. Where other, superior characteristics are present, individual inferior characteristics may be disregarded.