Directives 2002/55/EC and 2008/72/EC provide for the species they cover by way of a two-column table, one column listing the scientific name of the species and the other one listing one or several common names for each species.

Certain varieties of vegetable species belong to species listed under their scientific names, but not to the types of varieties described by the common names. Therefore, it should be specified whether a variety is covered by the scope of Directives 2002/55/EC and 2008/72/EC.

This specification should take into account the fact that, while some varieties of certain diverse vegetable species are marketed widely in the Union, others have nationally or regionally limited markets. It would thus not be appropriate to cover all varieties of those vegetable species. It should therefore be specified that for certain species all varieties are to be covered, while for certain other species only certain varieties should be covered.

The International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP) introduced the formal category of ‘Group’ to classify varieties of cultivated species. The category of ‘Group’ is a suitable instrument to define the varieties belonging to a certain species, which fall within the scope of Directives 2002/55/EC and 2008/72/EC.

For the purpose of specifying whether all varieties of a vegetable species or only certain Groups are covered, the tables of species provided for in Directives 2002/55/EC and 2008/72/EC should be amended. The respective botanical names of vegetable species and the Group names belonging to them should be presented in a hierarchical order as to eliminate any possible ambiguity with respect to the scope of the varieties of the species concerned.

The use of interspecific hybridisation and of intra-specific hybridisation of varieties can result in varieties of vegetable species that are not included into any established species or Group. In order to include such types of varieties in the scope of Directive 2002/55/EC, the list of species should include hybrids between species and Groups indicated in the list in point (b) of Article 2.1 of that Directive.

The Groups indicated in the list in point (b) of Article 2.1 of Directive 2002/55/EC should also be reflected, where appropriate, in the lists in Annex II, point 3(a), and Annex III, point 2 of that Directive.

Directives 2002/55/EC, 2008/72/EC and 93/61/EEC should therefore be amended accordingly.

Moreover, Commission Directive 93/61/EEC implements Article 4 of Council Directive 92/33/EC4, which has been repealed and replaced by Article 4 of Directive 2008/72/EC. The Annex to Directive 93/61/EEC establishes a schedule indicating the conditions to be met by vegetable propagating material listing those species and the harmful organisms liable to affect their quality.

The botanical names of certain species in Directive 93/61/EEC should be updated in accordance with the development of scientific knowledge, as part of updating the respective schedule.

The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,