Consultation on Amateur Vegetables

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) is seeking your views on the implementation of European Commission Directive 2009/145/EC on conservation and amateur varieties of vegetable seeds.

In practice, the Directive is to encourage the marketing of conservation (or heritage) varieties and of varieties intended specifically for amateur gardeners. It aims to do this through simpler requirements, giving a cheaper and quicker route to National Listing and minimising seed production costs.

The overall aim of the Directive is the sustainable use of plant genetic resources, for traditionally grown varieties and for varieties of 'no intrinsic value for crop production but developed for growing under particular conditions'.

Please note that DARD is consulting on the proposals relating to the implementation of the seed marketing provisions of the EU Directive only. The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) is carrying out the consultation on the UK implementation of the National Listing provisions of the EU Directive. The consultation documents relating to the national listing provisions can be accessed from the Fera website, at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/veg-variety/index.htm

The consultation period on the implementation proposals runs from Wednesday 4 August to Friday 29 October 2010.