. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.00/522
27 October 2000
(00-4499)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   THE NETHERLANDS
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries
Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be
indicated if different from above:   National Enquiry Point – EC WTO TBT Enquiry Point
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Vegetable seed
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Inspection
Regulations on Vegetable Seed used by the Dutch General Quality Service
(Dutch Designation:  Nak) for Horticulture
6. Description of content:   The inspection regulation relates to the production of vegetable
seed, with particular reference to marketing and further trade thereof, as well as to the
suppliers of these seeds.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
The regulation stipulates that vegetable seed must meet requirements such that sound
vegetable seed is produced, placed onto the market and further traded in by the private
sector.  Furthermore, the regulation stipulates that the regulations laid down in or on the
basis of the Seed and Planting Stock Act be carried out with more direct reference to thatwhich occurs in practice.  Also in view of the space which is offered by implementation of
article 22 of Directive 70/458/EEC, additional conditions for approval have been included
in Articles 3, 4, 5 and 11 of the draft.  Article 7 of the draft puts into effect the provisions ofarticle 21b paragraph 1 subsection a of Directive 98/95/EC;  Article 8 (seed trade) shall
apply exclusively to material that is marketed to third countries.  Furthermore, the
provisions of article 12 of Directive 70/458/EEC (systematic maintenance) are put intoeffect in article 6 paragraph 2.  As currently proposed, the regulation does not impede trade
in vegetable seed within the European Co mmunity.  Seeds which are legitimately produced
in another Member State and are complete wi th a tag or imprint in accordance with the
provisions of Directive 70/458/EEC, are permitted without let or hindrance.
In respect of the additional requirements (Articles 14 to 20 of the draft) it is noted that these
are founded on national law (art. 87 et seq. Seed and Planting Stock Act) and that theseregulations have been included solely for reasons of control for Dutch products exclusively,in view of the supervisory responsibility of the Dutch General Quality Service for
Horticulture.G/TBT/Notif.00/522
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8. Relevant documents:   Seed and Planting Stock Act, Affiliation Decree of the Dutch
General Quality Service for Horticulture and the Decree on trading in propagating material
for horticultural crops.
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: }2 February 2001
10. Final date for comments:   2 January 2001
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, e-mail and telefax
number of the other body:           