(1)

Council Decision 2008/971/EC (2) establishes the rules for granting equivalence to certain third countries as regards the approval and registration of basic material and the subsequent production of forest reproductive material from that basic material. The third countries concerned are member countries of the OECD Scheme for the certification of forest reproductive material moving in international trade (‘OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme’).

(2)

Decision 2008/971/EC covers forest reproductive material of the ‘source-identified’, ‘selected’ and ‘qualified’ categories.

(3)

In 2011, the Rules and Regulations of the OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme (3) (‘the OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme rules’) covered forest reproductive material of the ‘source-identified’, ‘selected’, and ‘qualified’ categories. The OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme rules were amended in 2013 to include the ‘tested’ category3.

(4)

In the absence of a Decision at Union level in relation to the equivalence of forest reproductive material of the ‘tested’ category, Member States can be authorised to take decisions at national level pursuant to Article 19(3) of Directive 1999/105/EC.

(5)

In 2018, the United Kingdom became a member country of the OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme. It was included as a third country in Annex I to Decision 2008/971/EC (4), without prejudice to the application of Union law to and in the United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland in accordance with Article 5(4) of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland to the Withdrawal Agreement in conjunction with Annex 2 to that Protocol.

(6)

Member States should be authorised to temporarily decide on the equivalence of forest reproductive material from the ‘tested’ category produced in the third countries listed in Annex I to Decision 2008/971/EC, pending an amendment of Decision 2008/971/EC. Member States should in that context ensure that the material to be imported affords equivalent guarantees in all respects to forest reproductive material produced in the Union and complying with Directive 1999/105/EC.

(7)

In view of the time necessary for a possible extension of Decision 2008/971/EC and to avoid any risk of disruption of imports into Member States, this Decision should apply until 31 December 2024.

(8)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,