EU Updates Seed Inspection Rules for Non‑EU Seeds

The European Commission proposes to codify the old Council Decision 2003/17/EC, which recognises that field inspections and seed produced in certain third‑country countries can be treated the same as inspections and seed produced in the EU.

The new decision (COM(2026) 128) adds a few changes:

• It will become valid 20 days after it is published in the Official Journal.
• Annex I lists the third‑country authorities that are recognised and the seed species covered (e.g. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Uruguay, and South Africa).
• Annex II sets the conditions that inspections and seed must meet: they must follow the OECD schemes for varietal certification, use ISTA testing rules, and be officially certified and closed in the same way as EU seed.
• Seed must carry an official label that says “EU rules and standards”, shows the ISTA or AOSA testing station, the country of production, the weight, any chemical treatments, and, if it is genetically modified, a clear GM notice.
• If seed is relabelled or refastened in the EU, the EU label must be used and the operation must be recorded.
• The decision replaces the 2003/17/EC decision and is addressed to all Member States.
• It will remain in force until 31 December 2029.

The decision is part of a series of amendments (e.g. 2025/1228, 2024/0030) that keep the EU’s seed‑inspection rules up to date.