BAKGRUNN (fra kommisjonsdirektivet)

(1) Commission Directives 2003/90/EC and 2003/91/EC aim to ensure that the varieties of agricultural plant species and vegetable species that Member States include in their national catalogues comply with the protocols established by the Community Plant Variety Office (‘CPVO’). In particular, those Directives aim to ensure compliance with the rules concerning the characteristics to be covered as a minimum by the examination and the minimum conditions for examining certain varieties of agricultural plant and vegetable species. For the species not covered by the CPVO protocols those Directives aim to ensure compliance with guidelines of the International Union for Protection of New Varieties of Plants (‘UPOV’).
(2) The CPVO and UPOV have updated existing protocols, in particular as regards hemp, garlic, kohlrabi, leaf chicory, watermelon and turnip. Those developments should be reflected in Union law.
(3) Directives 2003/90/EC and 2003/91/EC should therefore be amended accordingly.
(4) Member States should apply the new rules from 1 January 2024. However, in order not to disrupt official examinations, the following should apply. For varieties that were not yet accepted for inclusion in the Common Catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant or vegetable species, official examinations, which have started prior to 1 January 2024 and are not yet finalised, should continue to be made in accordance with Directive 2003/90/EC or Directive 2003/91/EC as they stood before being amended by this Directive.
(5) The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,