Agricultural species
Seed of conservation varieties may be accepted or certified if that variety is registered as a conservation variety in the Austrian list of varieties. The approval or certification procedure is largely the same as for normal seed. As regards seed quality, the minimum standards shall apply to certified seed of the lowest authorised category for the species concerned, with the exception of the minimum varietal purity requirements. The quantity of seed authorised for marketing shall be limited. For each conservation variety, a maximum quantity of 0.5 % (0.3 % for pea, wheat, barley, maize, potato, rape, sunflower) of the domestic seed requirement for the respective species per year may be marketed, but at least the seed or potato seed requirement for 100 ha. In total, the quantity of seed or seed potatoes of conservation varieties may not exceed 10 % of the requirements of each species.
The related Implementing Directive is published in the Official Gazette of the BAES.
The permitted quantities per conservation variety and species are established for Austria in accordance with Directive 2008/62/EC.
(European legislation can be found at eurlex.europa.eu/en/index.htm). EUR-LEX cannot guarantee that the online versions of a document correspond exactly to the official version. Only the version of the acts of the European Union published in the paper version of the Official Journal of the European Union shall be authentic.)
Vegetables
Old or rare varieties traditionally grown in particular places and regions and threatened by genetic erosion may also be authorised and seeds marketed for vegetables. These are primarily varieties that have been or will be used for agricultural purposes (e.g. field vegetable crops).
Material that is not intended for commercial use and is in itself of no value for cultivation for commercial purposes is subject to minimum legal regulations, primarily for reasons of consumer protection: Varieties are registered to ensure that they are a plant genetic resource within the meaning of the Directive and a variety defined as such. Consumers can thus, on the one hand, obtain information about it and understand its authenticity and, on the other hand, be protected from deception. These seeds are marketed in small packages.
(European legislation can be found at eurlex.europa.eu/en/index.htm). EUR-LEX cannot guarantee that the online versions of a document correspond exactly to the official version. Only the version of the acts of the European Union published in the paper version of the Official Journal of the European Union shall be authentic.)
The relevant implementing directive was published in the Official Gazette of the Federal Office for Food Safety.
Fodder Plant Mixtures
Already in the 1990s, the EU Member States designated Special Protection Areas (SPAs) to conserve natural habitats and established the Natura 2000 ecological network. These protected areas serve as source areas for the seed mixtures regulated here. The compositions of the mixtures must correspond to a habitat of origin and undergo a simplified procedure to ensure authenticity. Quantitative restrictions are placed on the placing on the market and labelling requirements for transparency and traceability are laid down.
(European legislation can be found at eurlex.europa.eu/en/index.htm). EUR-LEX cannot guarantee that the online versions of a document correspond exactly to the official version. Only the version of the acts of the European Union published in the paper version of the Official Journal of the European Union shall be authentic.)