The Beet Seeds Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009

PART 4 Labelling of packages of officially certified basic and CS seed

Official label for a package of officially certified basic or CS seed

8.  A package of officially certified basic or CS seed, other than a small EC package of basic or CS seed, shall be labelled, not later than the time of sealing, on the outside with an official label which has not previously been used containing the following particulars—

(a) the words “EC rules and standards”;

(b) the name of the certifying authority and member State or their commonly used initials;

(c) the reference number of the lot;

(d) the month and year of sealing or the month and year of the last official sampling for the purposes of certification, expressed respectively as follows—

(i) by the word “Sealed” followed by the month and year of sealing, or

(ii) by the word “Sampled” followed by the month and year of last official sampling for the purposes of certification;

(e) the species, indicated at least in Roman characters—

(i) under its botanical name, which may be given in abridged form and without the author’s name; or

(ii) under its common name; or

(iii) under both;

(f) for sugar beet the words “sugar beet” and for fodder beet the words “fodder beet”;

(g) the variety, indicated at least in Roman characters;

(h) the category;

(i) the country of production;

(j) the declared net or gross weight or declared number of clusters or pure seed;

(k) where weight is indicated and granulated pesticides, pelleting substances or other solid additives are used, the nature of the additive and also the approximate ratio between the weight of clusters or pure seeds and the total weight;

(l) for monogerm seed, the word “monogerm”; and

(m) for precision seed, the word “precision”.

9.  Where at least germination of the seed referred to in paragraph 8 has been retested, the words “retested” followed by the month and year of retesting and the authority responsible for such retesting may be indicated on the official label referred to in paragraph 8 or on an official sticker attached to the official label.

10.  The minimum size of the label referred to in paragraph 8 shall be 110 mm x 67 mm.

11.  The label referred to in paragraph 8 shall be coloured—

(a) white for basic seed, and

(b) blue for CS seed.

12.  The label referred to in paragraph 8—

(a) shall be—

(i) an adhesive label, or

(ii) a label secured to the package by a sealing device approved by the Department, the Secretary of State, the Scottish Ministers, the National Assembly for Wales ,and

(b) shall be fixed to the package by—

(i) an authorised officer or any person being supervised by such a person, or

(ii) a licensed seed sampler or any person being supervised by such a person.

Supplier’s label for a small EC package of basic or CS seed

13.  A small EC package of basic or CS seed shall be labelled—

(a) not later than the time of sealing;

(b) subject to paragraph 14, on the outside; and

(c) with a label, a printed notice or stamp containing the following information—

(i) “small EC package”;

(ii) the name and address of the supplier responsible for marking or his identification mark;

(iii) the officially assigned serial number;

(iv) the service which assigned the serial number and the name of the member State or their commonly used initials;

(v) the reference number of the lot;

(vi) the species, indicated at least in Roman characters;

(vii) for sugar beet the words “sugar beet” and for fodder beet the words “fodder beet”;

(viii) the variety, indicated at least in Roman characters;

(ix) the category;

(x) the net or gross weight or number of clusters or pure seeds;

(xi) where weight is indicated and granulated pesticides, pelleting substances or other solid additives are used, the nature of the additive and also the approximate ratio between the weight of clusters or pure seeds and the total weight;

(xii) for monogerm seed, the word “monogerm”; and

(xiii) for precision seed, the word “precision”.

14.  If the packaging material is transparent the label, notice or stamp referred to in paragraph 13 may be placed inside the package provided it can be read through the packaging.

15.  The label, notice or stamp referred to in paragraph 13 shall be coloured—

(a) white for basic seed, and

(b) blue for CS seed.