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On the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Decision 2003/17/EC as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in the Republic of Moldova on fodder plant seed-producing crops and on the equivalence of fodder plant seed produced in the Republic of Moldova, and as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in Ukraine on beet seed-producing crops and oil plant seed-producing crops and on the equivalence of beet seed and oil plant seed produced in Ukraine

Full title

On the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Decision 2003/17/EC as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in the Republic of Moldova on fodder plant seed-producing crops and on the equivalence of fodder plant seed produced in the Republic of Moldova, and as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in Ukraine on beet seed-producing crops and oil plant seed-producing crops and on the equivalence of beet seed and oil plant seed produced in Ukraine

Report A-10-2025-0043 · COM(2024)0052 – C9-0026/2024 – 2024/0027(COD)

Kind
Plenary report A-10-2025-0043
Date
25 March 2025
Committee
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
Rapporteur
Veronika Vrecionová
Dossier
2024/0027(COD)
More facts (4)
Voted in plenary
Formats
Official page PDF Word
Subject matter
SEME
Reference
COM(2024)0052 – C9-0026/2024 – 2024/0027(COD)
More
Cite this page Official page (opens the official site)
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In short

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Parliament's amended version of the proposed decision updates Council Decision 2003/17/EC to recognise field inspections and seed production in Moldova for fodder plants and in Ukraine for beet and oil plants as equivalent to EU standards. The amendments add that the Commission considered all audit recommendations addressed after receiving additional documentation from Moldova and Ukraine.

Position. The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development proposes that Parliament adopt its position at first reading with two amendments to the Commission proposal, which are factual and technical.

Key points

  1. The decision grants equivalence to field inspections and seed produced in Moldova for fodder plants and in Ukraine for beet and oil plants.
  2. The amendments state that, after receiving additional documentation, the Commission considered all audit recommendations for Moldova and Ukraine had been addressed satisfactorily.
  3. The Commission concluded that national authorities in Moldova are competent, have adequate facilities, and operate appropriately for fodder plant seed certification.
  4. The Commission concluded that national authorities in Ukraine are competent, have adequate facilities, and operate appropriately for beet, sunflower, swede rape and soya bean seed certification.

Who is affected

  • Seed producers and certification authorities in Moldova and Ukraine, who will benefit from EU recognition of their field inspections and seed.
  • EU importers and farmers, who will have access to seed from Moldova and Ukraine certified under equivalent standards.

Legal basis. Article 43(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

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Draft european parliament legislative resolution

on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council

amending Council Decision 2003/17/EC as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in the Republic of Moldova on fodder plant seed-producing crops and on the equivalence of fodder plant seed produced in the Republic of Moldova, and as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in Ukraine on beet seed-producing crops and oil plant seed-producing crops and on the equivalence of beet seed and oil plant seed produced in Ukraine

(COM(2024)0052 – C9-0026/2024 – 2024/0027(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

–having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2024)0052),

–having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 43(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C9-0026/2024),

–having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 20 March 2024,

–having regard to Rule 60 of its Rules of Procedure,

–having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A10-0043/2025),

1.Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

2.Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

3.Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

Amendment 1

Proposal for a decision

Recital 3

Amendment: Text proposed by the Commission and Amendment
Text proposed by the CommissionAmendment
(3) The Commission examined the relevant legislation of the Republic of Moldova. It also carried out in 2016 an audit of the system of official controls and of certification of cereal, vegetable and oil and fibre plant seed in the Republic of Moldova and published its findings in a report4. On the basis of the audit, the Commission concluded that the national authorities responsible for the implementation of seed certification in the Republic of Moldova are competent, have adequate facilities in place, and operate appropriately. Those authorities are also responsible for field inspections of seed-producing fodder plants and for the certification of seed of fodder plants.(3) The Commission examined the relevant legislation of the Republic of Moldova. It also carried out in 2016 an audit of the system of official controls and of certification of cereal, vegetable and oil and fibre plant seed in the Republic of Moldova and published its findings in a report4. Following the receipt of additional documentation from the Republic of Moldova, the Commission considered that all recommendations made in the audit report had been addressed in a satisfactory manner. On the basis of the audit, the Commission concluded that the national authorities responsible for the implementation of seed certification in the Republic of Moldova are competent, have adequate facilities in place, and operate appropriately. Those authorities are also responsible for field inspections of seed-producing fodder plants and for the certification of seed of fodder plants.
4 ‘Final report of an audit carried out in the Republic of Moldova from 14 June to 21 June 2016 in order to evaluate the system of official controls and certification of seed and their equivalence with European Union requirements’ https://ec.europa.eu/food/audits-analysis/audit-report/details/3667.4 ‘Final report of an audit carried out in the Republic of Moldova from 14 June to 21 June 2016 in order to evaluate the system of official controls and certification of seed and their equivalence with European Union requirements’ https://ec.europa.eu/food/audits-analysis/audit-report/details/3667.

Amendment 2

Proposal for a decision

Recital 7

Amendment: Text proposed by the Commission and Amendment
Text proposed by the CommissionAmendment
(7) The Commission examined the relevant legislation of Ukraine. It also carried out an audit in 2015 of the system of official controls and of certification of cereal seed in Ukraine and published its findings in a report6. On the basis of the audit, the Commission concluded that the national authorities responsible for the implementation of seed certification in Ukraine are competent, have adequate facilities in place, and operate appropriately. Those authorities are also responsible for the field inspections of seed-producing crops of beet, sunflower, swede rape and soya bean, and for the certification of seed of those crops.(7) The Commission examined the relevant legislation of Ukraine. It also carried out an audit in 2015 of the system of official controls and of certification of cereal seed in Ukraine and published its findings in a report6. Following the receipt of additional documentation from Ukraine, the Commission considered that all recommendations made in the audit report had been addressed in a satisfactory manner. On the basis of the audit, the Commission concluded that the national authorities responsible for the implementation of seed certification in Ukraine are competent, have adequate facilities in place, and operate appropriately. Those authorities are also responsible for the field inspections of seed-producing crops of beet, sunflower, swede rape and soya bean, and for the certification of seed of those crops.
6 ‘Final report of an audit carried out in Ukraine from 26 May 2015 to 4 June 2015 in order to evaluate the system of official controls and certification of cereal seed and their equivalence with European Union requirements’ https://ec.europa.eu/food/audits-analysis/audit-report/details/3499.6 ‘Final report of an audit carried out in Ukraine from 26 May 2015 to 4 June 2015 in order to evaluate the system of official controls and certification of cereal seed and their equivalence with European Union requirements’ https://ec.europa.eu/food/audits-analysis/audit-report/details/3499.

Back matter, 2

Parts that accompany the text rather than belong to it: explanatory statement, annexes, opinions appended by other committees. Collapsed.

Explanatory statement 7 blocks

The Rapporteur welcomes the European Commission proposal, which aims to update Council Decision 2003/17/EC that grants equivalence to certain non-EU countries as regards field inspections and production of seed of certain species that are carried out in accordance with Council Directives 66/401/EEC, 66/402/EEC, 2002/54/EC, 2002/55/EC and 2002/57/EC. The legal basis of this act is the Article 43(2) of the TFEU. That equivalence system contributes to the maintenance of the continuous supply of high quality seed in the Union.

The Republic of Moldova has been included in the list of non-EU countries since 2018. Similarly, Ukraine joined this list in 2020 for seeds of different agricultural crops.

The requesting countries have their seed laboratories accredited by the International Seed Testing Association. This provides additional assurance on the quality of the inspections and the seed produced in those countries and their compliance with Union legislation.

Moreover, both Ukraine and Moldova have been admitted to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Seed Schemes for the Varietal Certification of Seed moving in International Trade, with respect to the seeds of the requested agricultural crops.

Lastly, the Commission examined Ukraine's and Moldova’s relevant legislation, carried out audits of systems of official controls and seed certification, and found them appropriate to the EU legislation.

The Rapporteur supports the Commission’s proposal and suggest adopting it with the two factual and technical amendments related to the inspections. These amendments aim to ensure, in the long term, products entering single market fully comply with EU production requirements.

As set out in the Commission’s proposal, all conditions are met in order to grant the equivalence to the Ukraine and Moldova. Given the evolving needs of the agricultural sector and international trade in high-quality seed production, as well as the importance of fostering global collaboration, the proposal should enhance the trade of seeds that complies with the Union regulations.

Annex: entities or persons from whom the rapporteur has received input 1 block

The rapporteur declares under her exclusive responsibility that she did not receive input from any entity or person to be mentioned in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

Procedure pages and committee votes

How the committees handled the text and how their members voted on it. Collapsed.

Procedure – committee responsible 1 block
Table from the text: Title
TitleGranting equivalence with EU requirements to Moldova and Ukraine as regards field inspections and production of seed
ReferencesCOM(2024)0052 – C9-0026/2024 – 2024/0027(COD)
Date submitted to Parliament5.2.2024
Committee(s) responsibleAGRI
Rapporteurs Date appointedVeronika Vrecionová 20.11.2024
Discussed in committee3.12.202430.1.2025
Date adopted19.3.2025
Result of final vote+: –: 0:30 13 1
Members present for the final voteArno Bausemer, Sergio Berlato, Stefano Bonaccini, Mireia Borrás Pabón, Daniel Buda, Gheorghe Cârciu, Asger Christensen, Barry Cowen, Carmen Crespo Díaz, Ivan David, Valérie Deloge, Salvatore De Meo, Csaba Dömötör, Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral, Herbert Dorfmann, Luke Ming Flanagan, Cristina Guarda, Martin Häusling, Krzysztof Hetman, Céline Imart, Elsi Katainen, Stefan Köhler, Norbert Lins, Cristina Maestre, Dario Nardella, Gilles Pennelle, Alvise Pérez, Katarína Roth Neveďalová, Bert-Jan Ruissen, Arash Saeidi, Eric Sargiacomo, Christine Singer, Raffaele Stancanelli, Anna Strolenberg, Pekka Toveri, Jessika Van Leeuwen, Veronika Vrecionová, Thomas Waitz, Maria Walsh
Substitutes present for the final voteSakis Arnaoutoglou, Alexander Bernhuber, Benoit Cassart, Elena Sancho Murillo, Anna Zalewska
Date tabled25.3.2025
Final vote by roll call by the committee responsible 3 blocks

30 · For

ECR
Bert-Jan Ruissen, Veronika Vrecionová
EPP
Alexander Bernhuber, Daniel Buda, Carmen Crespo Díaz, Salvatore De Meo, Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral, Herbert Dorfmann, Stefan Köhler, Norbert Lins, Pekka Toveri, Jessika Van Leeuwen, Maria Walsh
Renew
Benoit Cassart, Asger Christensen, Barry Cowen, Elsi Katainen, Christine Singer
S&D
Sakis Arnaoutoglou, Stefano Bonaccini, Gheorghe Cârciu, Cristina Maestre, Dario Nardella, Elena Sancho Murillo, Eric Sargiacomo
The Left
Luke Ming Flanagan
Greens
Cristina Guarda, Martin Häusling, Anna Strolenberg, Thomas Waitz

13 · Against

ECR
Sergio Berlato, Anna Zalewska
ESN
Arno Bausemer, Ivan David
No group
Alvise Pérez, Katarína Roth Neveďalová
EPP
Krzysztof Hetman, Céline Imart
Patriots
Mireia Borrás Pabón, Valérie Deloge, Csaba Dömötör, Gilles Pennelle, Raffaele Stancanelli

1 · Abstained

The Left
Arash Saeidi

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https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/A-10-2025-0043
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Cite as

European Parliament (2025). “REPORT on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Decision 2003/17/EC as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in the Republic of Moldova on fodder plant seed-producing crops and on the equivalence of fodder plant seed produced in the Republic of Moldova, and as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in Ukraine on beet seed-producing crops and oil plant seed-producing crops and on the equivalence of beet seed and oil plant seed produced in Ukraine”. Text, 22 May 2025. docId A-10-2025-0043, reference A10-0043/2025, procId 2024-0027. EU Parl Watch Research. https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/A-10-2025-0043 (retrieved 25 September 2026). Official source: The text on the European Parliament’s website, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-10-2025-0043_EN.html. Data: EP Open Data API: document record, https://data.europarl.europa.eu/api/v2/documents/A-10-2025-0043 (CC BY 4.0).
BibTeX 
@misc{epw-text-a-10-2025-0043,
  author = {{European Parliament}},
  title = {{REPORT on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Decision 2003/17/EC as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in the Republic of Moldova on fodder plant seed-producing crops and on the equivalence of fodder plant seed produced in the Republic of Moldova, and as regards the equivalence of field inspections carried out in Ukraine on beet seed-producing crops and oil plant seed-producing crops and on the equivalence of beet seed and oil plant seed produced in Ukraine}},
  year = {2025},
  date = {2025-05-22},
  howpublished = {\url{https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/A-10-2025-0043}},
  url = {https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/texts/A-10-2025-0043},
  urldate = {2026-09-25},
  publisher = {EU Parl Watch Research},
  note = {Text. docId A-10-2025-0043, reference A10-0043/2025, procId 2024-0027. Official source: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-10-2025-0043\_EN.html. Data: EP Open Data API: document record (CC BY 4.0)}
}