Laws and regulations

Naktuinbouw registers the availability of organic propagation material at the request of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. The Netherlands are obliged to keep such a database on the basis of European directives.

The following regulations are listed below.
Commission Regulation (EC) no 1452/2003
Council Regulation (EEC) no 2092/1991
Commission Regulation (EC) no 834/2007

The European directive which States that each Member State of the European Community must maintain a database for organic propagation material is:

Commission Regulation (EC) no. 1452/2003 from the Commission of 14 August 2003

Article 9:
Each Member State should therefore ensure that a database in which organically propagated seed and seed potatoes which meet the general criteria for the production of seed and vegetative propagating material is available to users….

Reference is made to: Council Regulation (EEC) no 2092/91.

In regulation 2092/91 is defined what the organic production method is and how indications on agricultural products and foodstuff should look like. The minimum requirements to the database for organic propagation material are described in this regulation. In the database for organic propagation material these requirements are implemented as follows:

- Naktuinbouw will check if the variety is registered in the Dutch National Lists (Agriculture and Vegetables) and EU common Catalogues.
- Varieties included in the database will be checked by the competent authority Skal.
- The relevant crops will be included in the database with the scientific name, the official Dutch and English name and some obvious synonym names.
- The relevant varieties will be included under the name under which they are registered.
- A date can be included in a separate column as from which the material of variety is available. This should be indicated by the supplier.
- From each variety  the suppliers of the material are mentioned. A list of suppliers is given in an Annex.
- In addition to the National Annex a list is maintained for crops for which no derogation is requested.
- Additions and mutations are processed within 3 working days after receipt of the data.
- The database is free to consult via Internet
- Within the database one can search for all varieties or for just the varieties of a certain crop or supplier.
- No further details of the varieties will be included in the database. The link to the relevant supplier is mentioned.
- In an extra column it is indicated if the material is EKO or Demeter certified.

In addition, the Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labeling of organic products is mentioned. Also the General principles of organic farming are explained.