1.As regards the agricultural species covered by Directives 66/401/EEC, 66/402/EEC, 2002/54/EC, 2002/56/EC and 2002/57/EC, this Directive lays down certain derogations in relation to the conservation in situ and the sustainable use of plant genetic resources through growing and marketing:
(a)for acceptance for inclusion in the national catalogues of varieties of agricultural plant species, as provided for in Directive 2002/53/EC, of landraces and varieties which are naturally adapted to the local and regional conditions and threatened by genetic erosion;
(b)for the marketing of seed and seed potatoes of such landraces and varieties.
2.Unless otherwise provided in this Directive, Directives 66/401/EEC, 66/402/EEC, 2002/53/EC, 2002/54/EC, 2002/56/EC and 2002/57/EC shall apply.
For the purposes of this Directive the following definitions shall apply:
‘conservation in situ’ means the conservation of genetic material in its natural surroundings and, in the case of cultivated plant species, in the farmed environment where they have developed their distinctive properties;
‘genetic erosion’ means loss of genetic diversity between and within populations or varieties of the same species over time, or reduction of the genetic basis of a species due to human intervention or environmental change;
‘landrace’ means a set of populations or clones of a plant species which are naturally adapted to the environmental conditions of their region;
‘seed’ means seed and seed potatoes, unless seed potatoes are expressly excluded.