EU ministers have adopted new rules to tighten standards for forest seeds and plants sold across the bloc, including measures to improve their traceability.
The regulation covers “forest reproductive material” — seeds, plants and other planting material used to regenerate forests through reforestation and afforestation — and is intended to improve quality and availability across EU countries, , the Council of the EU informed on Tuesday.
Only approved and certified seeds and plants will be allowed on the market under the new rules.
The Council added that the changes will also strengthen traceability, allowing seeds and seedlings to be tracked across the EU.
The measures encourage the use of planting material described as resilient to climate change and resistant to pests. A simpler and more harmonised system of controls is also included.
Maria Panayiotou, Cyprus’s minister of agriculture, rural development and environment, said the decision “improves the quality of forest reproductive material, supports innovation and gives member states better tools to manage forests and respond to future challenges”.
Vote still needed in European Parliament
The regulation still requires a formal vote in the European Parliament before it can become law, the Council said.
Its application date has been set at five years after adoption to allow time for countries to adapt long-established national practices and to implement the new control system.
