Plant Propagation and Plant Variety Rights Act
Passed 8 December 2005
(RT I 2005, 70, 540),
entered into force 1 January 2006.
Chapter 1
General Provisions
§ 1. Scope of application of Act
(1) This Act regulates the registration of plant varieties (hereinafter varieties), entry
of varieties in the Variety List, grant of plant variety rights, the rights of the holders of
plant variety rights, the production for marketing purposes of seed, plant propagating
material (hereinafter propagating material) and cultivating material including the
packaging, marketing and conveyance to Estonia and state supervision thereof, and the
liability for the violation of this Act and legislation established on the basis thereof.
(2) This Act does not apply to the seed and propagating and cultivating material
which is:
1) produced for own use;
2) intended for export, except for seed not yet finally certified;
3) propagating material intended for supply to the final consumer through the local
market in small quantities, except for seed potatoes;
4) seed used for industrial raw material.
(3) The provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act apply to the administrative
procedure prescribed by the legislation of the European Union, this Act and the
legislation established on the basis thereof, taking account of the specifications of the
legislation of the European Union and this Act.
(4) The provisions of the Food Act apply to the use of seed as a food or raw material
for food.
(5) The provisions of the Feedingstuffs Act apply to the use of seed as a feedingstuff
or ingredient of a feedingstuff.
§ 2. Variety and essentially derived variety
(1) For the purposes of this Act, a variety shall mean a plant grouping within a single
botanical taxon of the lowest known rank which is defined by the expression of the
characteristics resulting from a given genotype or combination of genotypes, is
distinguished from other plant groupings by the expression of at least one of the said
characteristics and is considered as a unit with regard to its suitability for being
propagated unchanged. Such plant grouping is deemed to be a variety irrespective of
whether the conditions for the grant of a plant variety right are fulfilled or not.
(2) A variety is deemed to be essentially derived from another variety by its
fenological characteristics if it is predominantly derived from the initial variety or a
variety that is itself predominantly derived from the initial variety, it is clearly
distinguishable from the initial variety, and, except for the differences which result from
the act of derivation, conforms to the initial variety in the expression of the essential
characteristics that result from the genotype or combination of genotypes of the initial
variety.
(3) Essentially derived varieties may be obtained by the selection of a mutant or a
variant individual of the initial variety, by back-crossing, transformation by genetic
engineering, somatic cloning, or other such method.
§ 3. Seed
(1) For the purposes of this Act, seed shall mean the seed of agricultural plants
including the seed of cereals, fodder crops, oil crops, fibre crops and beets, and the seed
of vegetables which are used or intended for the production of seed for marketing
purposes or propagating material, or for growing plants.
(2) The seed of cereals, fodder crops, oil crops, fibre crops, vegetables and beets are
divided into categories based on their descent and quality.
(3) The categories and quality requirements for seed by groups of plant species as
specified in subsection (2) of this section shall be established by the Minister of
Agriculture.
§ 4. Propagating material
(1) For the purposes of this Act, propagating material shall mean seed potatoes, and in
the case of horticultural plants, above all the plant material used for the propagation of
plant species and the production of planting material including, in the case of fruit, berry
and ornamental plant species, also the seed and the vegetative and seedling stock, and in
the case of fruit, berry and vegetable species, also the planting stock which are the plants
or parts of plants intended for planting or replanting.
(2) Seed potatoes and the propagating material of fruit and berry species are divided
into categories based on their descent and quality.
(3) The categories of and requirements for propagating material according to the plant
species specified in subsection (1) of this section shall be established by the Minister of
Agriculture.
§ 5. Cultivating material
(1) For the purposes of this Act, cultivating material shall mean the seed, parts of
plants and planting stock intended for the planting or replanting of the tree species and
hybrids thereof used for forestry purposes specified in Annex I to Council Directive
1999/105/EC on the marketing of forest reproductive material (OJ L 011, 15.01.2000, pp.
17–40).
(2) Cultivating material is divided into categories based on the origin and quality of
the parent material.
(3) The categories of and requirements for the parent material of cultivating material
shall be established by the Minister of the Environment.
§ 6. Seed and propagating or cultivating material of genetically modified varieties
(1) The production for marketing purposes, and the packaging and marketing of the
seed and propagating or cultivating material of genetically modified varieties, and the
state supervision over such activities shall be organised pursuant to the provisions of this
Act and in compliance with the requirements of this Act and taking account of the
requirements provided by the Deliberate Release of Genetically Modified Organisms into
the Environment Act.
(2) The requirements for the purity and marking of the seed and propagating or
cultivating material of genetically modified varieties and other relevant requirements may
be established by the Minister of Agriculture.
(3) The requirements for the purity of a lot and marking of the seed and propagating
or cultivating material of varieties which are not genetically modified but contain
genetically modified organisms and other relevant requirements may be established by
the Minister of Agriculture.
§ 7. Calculation of terms for proceedings, delivery of decisions made based on this Act
and acts subject to state fee
(1) The terms for the proceedings prescribed to the Plant Production Inspectorate and
the Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture on the basis of this Act shall be
calculated after the payment of the state fee as of the date of receipt of an application
together with all the necessary documents in proof of the information presented in the
application (hereinafter collectively referred to as application).
(2) A copy or excerpt of a decision made by the Plant Production Inspectorate and the
Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture on the basis of this Act shall be sent to a
person within ten days after the making of the decision by post, by sending a registered
letter or registered letter with advice of delivery.
Chapter 2
Variety
Division 1
Requirements for Variety
§ 8. Registration of variety
(1) Only registered species shall be protected by variety right, entered in the Variety
List or the list of recommended varieties of agricultural plants. Registration of a variety is
a procedure in the course of which the conformity of the variety with the requirements of
this Act is established and a conforming variety is entered in the state Plant Varieties
Register.
(2) A person wishing to register a variety shall submit a standard format application
to the authorised processor of the state Plant Varieties Register (hereinafter registrar).
The person who submits an application shall be responsible for the correctness of the
information contained therein.
(3) The format for the application specified in subsection (2) of this section, the
information to be submitted in the application, a list of documents to be annexed to the
application and the procedure for application for the registration of a variety shall be
established by the Minister of Agriculture.
(4) Together with registration of a variety, the owner of a variety may also apply for a
variety right or entry of the variety in the Variety List.
§ 9. Breeder of variety and owner of variety
(1) The breeder of a variety is a natural person or a group of persons who has bred or
identified the variety by using different breeding techniques.
(2) The owner of a variety is the breeder of the variety or the person who has acquired
the proprietary rights attached to the variety on a legal basis.
(3) If a variety is bred by a breeder in the course of performance of an employment or
service duty or contractual obligation, the employer or the customer of the breeder is
deemed to be the owner of the variety.
(4) A breeder or owner of a variety who has no residence or seat in the republic of
Estonia or another Member State who wishes to register the variety, apply for a plant
variety right or perform another act provided for in this Act must engage a representative
with a residence or seat in the republic of Estonia or another Member State for such
purposes. The general principles of civil law apply to such representation.
§ 10. Requirements for variety
A variety must be distinct, uniform and stable and must bear an appropriate variety
denomination.
§ 11. Distinctness of variety and known variety
(1) A variety is deemed to be distinct if it is clearly distinguishable by reference to the
expression of one or several essential characteristics from any other variety whose
existence is a matter of common knowledge at the time of filing of an application.
(2) A variety is deemed to be distinct if:
1) an application for the registration of the variety or an application for a variety
right concerning the variety has been submitted in Estonia or another country;
2) an application for its entry in the Variety List has been submitted in Estonia or
another country;
3) it has been described in a publication;
4) it is used in production;
5) it is being marketed, or
6) it has been described in a catalogue issued by an international organisation.
(3) A variety for the registration, placing under protection or entry in the Variety List
of which an application has been submitted is deemed to be known by the registrar as of
the date of submission of the application presuming that after the receipt of the
application the variety will be registered, placed under protection or included in the
Variety List.
§ 12. Uniformity of variety
A variety is deemed to be uniform if, subject to the variation that may be expected from
the particular features of its propagation, it is sufficiently uniform in the expression of
those characteristics which are included in the examination for distinctness, as well as of
any others used for the variety description.
§ 13. Stability of variety
A variety is deemed to be stable if its relevant characteristics remain unchanged after
repeated vegetative or generative propagation, or at the end of a particular cycle of
propagation.
§ 14. Variety denomination
(1) The application specified in subsection 8 (2) of this Act shall include a proposal
concerning the denomination of the variety in the form of a code or a denomination
which must be approved by the registrar.
(2) If an applicant is submitting an application for the registration of the same variety
simultaneously in Estonia as well as another country, the denomination proposed in those
applications must be the same.
(3) After a variety has been registered, the variety must be referred to only by the
variety denomination approved by the registrar.
§ 15. Requirements for variety denominations
A variety denomination shall conform to the requirements established by Commission
Regulation 930/2000/EC establishing implementing rules as to the suitability of the
denominations of varieties of agricultural plant species and vegetable species (OJ L 108,
05.05.2000, pp. 3–6).
§ 16. Registration trials
(1) The registration trials of a variety shall determine:
1) whether the variety belongs to the botanical taxon stated in an application;
2) its distinctness;
3) its uniformity; and
4) its stability.
(2) If a variety has been registered in another country, the registrar has the right to
order, at the expense of the applicant, a report on the results of the registration trials of
the variety from the competent authority of such country. The registrar may decide not to
organise registration trials if, after assessing such report, the registrar finds that the results
of the registration trials of the variety conform to the requirements of distinctness,
uniformity and stability.
(3) If a variety has been registered in another country but the registration trials of the
variety were carried out under conditions which significantly differ from the climatic
conditions in Estonia, the registration trials may be carried out to the extent determined
by the registrar.
§ 17. Organisation and performance of registration trials of variety
(1) The performance of registration trials of varieties is organised by the registrar.
(2) Registration trials of varieties are carried out under the supervision of the
registrar. The registrar shall forward the documents necessary for the performance of a
registration trials of a variety to the person carrying out the trials.
(3) The registration trials for the establishment of the distinctness, uniformity and
stability of a variety shall be carried out in adherence to the methodology of the
Community Plant variety Office (hereinafter CPVO) and in the absence thereof, the
methodology of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants
(hereinafter UPOV).
(4) If no methodology specified in subsection (3) of this section applicable to a plant
species exists, the registrar shall elaborate an appropriate methodology in adherence to
the internationally recognised principles applied by the UPOV, and co-ordinate it with
the person carrying out the registration trials.
(5) The registrar shall determine the quality and quantity of the seed or propagating
material of the variety indicated in the application and any requisite reference varieties
necessary for the conduct of the registration trials.
(6) The registrar shall set the applicant a term for delivery of the material necessary
for the conduct of the registration trials.
(7) Registration trials shall be carried out in a place and during the period prescribed
by the registrar.
(8) The costs directly related to the conduct of the registration trials shall be borne by
the applicant for registration based on an invoice issued by the person carrying out the
registration trials.
(9) The procedure for performance of registration trials of varieties may be
established by the Minister of Agriculture.
§ 18. Results of registration trials
(1) The results of registration trials shall be set forth in a report.
(2) The registrar shall make a decision on the conformity or non-conformity of the
distinctness, uniformity and stability of a variety based on the results of the registration
trials of the variety within thirty working days after receiving the report on the results of
the registration trials.
§ 19. Verification of conformity of variety denominations
(1) The registrar shall publish a proposal concerning a variety denomination on its
website and in the official publication of the Plant Production Inspectorate.
(2) The registrar shall verify the conformity of a variety denomination to the
requirements provided in § 15 of this Act within twenty days after receiving the proposal
for the variety denomination.
(3) If the registrar establishes that the proposed variety denomination does not
conform to the requirements provided by this Act, the applicant shall be notified. The
applicant has the right to make a new proposal for a variety denomination within thirty
days after receiving a notice to such effect. The conformity of the new variety
denomination shall be verified pursuant to the procedure provided in this section.
(4) If the applicant fails to make a proposal for a new variety denomination within the
term provided in subsection (3) of this section, the registrar shall make a decision
whereby the registration of the variety is terminated.
§ 20. Objections to proposed variety denomination
(1) A written objection to a proposed variety denomination which has been made
public may be made by interested persons within three months after the publication of the
proposed variety denomination. Such objection must be reasoned and it shall be
submitted to the registrar.
(2) The registrar shall notify an applicant of a submitted objection by post within ten
working days after receipt thereof.
(3) An applicant shall respond to an objection in writing within thirty working days
after receipt thereof.
(4) The registrar shall make a decision on disregarding an objection or accepting an
objection within twenty working days after the receipt of the written response specified in
subsection (3) of this section, and shall forward it to the person who filed the objection
and to the applicant within ten working days after making the decision.
(5) If, in the opinion of the registrar, an objection to a proposed variety denomination
is justified or if the applicant has not responded to the objection within the term set for
such purposes, the registrar shall give the applicant a term for submission of a new
proposal for the variety denomination pursuant to the procedure provided in subsection
19 (3) of this Act.
§ 21. Approval of variety denomination
If a variety denomination conforms to the requirements of this Act, the registrar shall
make a decision whereby the variety denomination is approved.
§ 22. Registration of variety and variety certificate
(1) If a variety conforms to the requirements of variety denomination, distinctness,
uniformity and stability, the registrar shall make a decision to approve the variety and
shall issue a variety certificate.
(2) The registrar shall make an entry in the state Plant Varieties Register on the day of
making the decision on approval of a variety.
(3) The Minister of Agriculture shall establish the requirements for the content of
variety certificates.
§ 23. Change of variety denomination
(1) A change of a variety denomination approved by the registrar or entered in the
state Plant Varieties Register is commenced:
1) on the decision of the registrar if after approval of the variety denomination,
making the decision on registration of the variety and entry thereof in the state Plant
Varieties Register it becomes evident that the variety denomination does not meet the
requirements provided for in this Act;
2) at the request of the holder of the plant variety right, if there is good reason to
change the variety denomination;
3) at the request of an interested person if a violation of the rights of the person has
been established by a court judgment.
(2) In the case specified in subsection (1) of this section, the holder of the plant
variety right shall submit a new proposal for the variety denomination. The conformity of
the new variety denomination shall be verified at the dates and pursuant to the procedure
provided in this Division. A new variety denomination enters into force on the date of
entry thereof in the register.
Division 2
Variety List and Procedure for Entry in Variety List
§ 24. Variety List
(1) The Variety List is a list of varieties of agricultural plant species and vegetable
species subject to entry in the Variety List whose seed and propagating material is subject
to certification and may be marketed.
(2) In Estonia, it is also permitted to certify and market the seed and propagating
material of varieties entered in the Common catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant
species or in the Common catalogue of varieties of vegetable species (hereinafter both
collectively referred to as the Common catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant and
vegetable species).
(3) Varieties of cereals, fodder crops, oil crops, fibre crops, vegetables, beets and
potatoes are included in the Variety List. The Variety List is compiled by the registrar.
(4) Varieties of agricultural plant and vegetable species not included in the Common
catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant and vegetable species may also be entered in
the Variety List. The seed of the varieties of species subject to such certification shall be
certified in Estonia.
(5) Varieties intended for utilisation as plant genetic resources may also be entered in
the Variety List.
§ 25. Entry in Variety List
(1) Entry of a variety in the Variety List is a procedure for establishing the conformity
of the variety to the requirements provided in § 10 of this Act and for determining the
variety's value for cultivation and use.
(2) A conforming variety is entered in the Variety List on the basis of an application
of the holder of the plant variety right or of the maintainer of the variety. The registrar
shall publish the information concerning the received applications on its website and in
the official publication of the Plant Production Inspectorate.
(3) For the purposes of this Act, the maintainer of a variety is the holder of the plant
variety right or the person who, upon registration of the variety, undertakes to guarantee
the maintenance of the variety.
(4) The Variety List and a list of maintainers of varieties included in the Variety List
shall be published on the website of the registrar and in the official publication of the
Plant Production Inspectorate. Genetically modified varieties entered in the Variety List
shall be correspondingly designated.
(5) The registrar shall inform the European Commission of the varieties included in
the Variety List as well as of any changes to other data in the Variety List. The Variety
List is amended according to the applications received by the registrar and the decisions
made based on the results of conducted trials.
§ 26. Requirements for varieties entered in Variety List
(1) A variety is entered in the Variety List if:
1) the variety conforms to the requirements of distinctness, uniformity and stability
and the requirements for variety denominations provided in § 15 of this Act;
2) the variety has satisfactory value for cultivation and use which has been
determined by way of state trials for the agricultural value of cultivation and use
(hereinafter trials for the agricultural value of cultivation and use).
(2) Varieties of grass plants intended for cultivation of lawn and varieties of vegetable
species are entered in the Variety List if such species conform to the requirements
provided in clause (1) 1) of this section.
(3) If a variety constituent used for creating hybrid varieties conforms to the
requirements provided in clause (1) 1) of this section, it shall be included in the Variety
List under the variety denomination of the constituent.
(4) The types of hybrid varieties specified in subsection (3) of this section and inbred
lines by groups of agricultural plant and vegetable species shall be established by the
Minister of Agriculture.
(5) Varieties of agricultural plant and vegetable species intended for utilisation as
plant genetic resources shall be entered in the Variety List if they conform to the
requirements set for such varieties.
(6) The conformity of a variety to the requirements for varieties of agricultural plant
and vegetable species intended for utilisation as plant genetic resources shall be
established by the registrar.
(7) A list of varieties of agricultural plant and vegetable species intended for
utilisation as plant genetic resources, the requirements set for such varieties by groups of
plant species and the requirements for the marketing thereof may be established by the
Minister of Agriculture.
§ 27. Organisation and performance of trials for the agricultural value of cultivation and
use
(1) In order to establish the cultivation value of a variety, the registrar shall organise
trials for the agricultural value of cultivation and use.
(2) Trials for the agricultural value of cultivation and use are carried out under the
supervision of the registrar. The registrar shall forward the documents necessary for the
performance of trials for the agricultural value of cultivation and use to the person
carrying out the trials.
(3) Trials for the agricultural value of cultivation and use for determining the value
for cultivation and use of a variety shall be performed in adherence to the methodology
for trials for the agricultural value of cultivation and use elaborated by the registrar and
approved by the person carrying out the trials, and the cultivation value received as a
result of the trials shall be compared to the cultivation value of standard varieties.
(4) The registrar shall set the applicant a term for delivering the material necessary for
the performance of the trials for the agricultural value of cultivation and use.
(5) Trials for the agricultural value of cultivation and use shall be carried out in a
place and during the period prescribed by the registrar.
(6) Direct costs related to the performance of trials for the agricultural value of
cultivation and use shall be paid by the applicant on the basis of an invoice submitted to
the applicant.
(7) The procedure for performance of trials for the agricultural value of cultivation
and use may be established by the Minister of Agriculture.
§ 28. Procedure for entry in Variety List and maintenance in Variety List
(1) A report shall be prepared concerning the results of the trials for the agricultural
value of cultivation and use and submitted to the registrar.
(2) Based on the results of trials for the agricultural value of cultivation and use and
taking account of the value for cultivation and use of a variety, the registrar shall make a
decision on the entry of a variety in the Variety List or a decision to refuse to enter a
variety in the Variety List by 31 December of the year of receipt of the report concerning
the trials for the agricultural value of cultivation and use of the last year of trials.
(3) A variety is maintained in the Variety List for ten calendar years.
(4) The procedure for entry of a variety in the variety list and the list of plant varieties
subject to entry in the Variety List shall be established by the Minister of Agriculture.
§ 29. Requirements for maintenance of varieties of agricultural and vegetable species
(1) During the time a variety of an agricultural or vegetable species is included the
Variety List, the variety must conform to the requirements regarding the distinctness,
uniformity and stability of the variety (hereinafter maintenance of variety). The
maintenance of a variety of an agricultural or vegetable species entered in the Variety
List shall be guaranteed by the maintainer of the variety.
(2) In order to exercise supervision over the maintenance of a variety, the maintainer
of the variety shall collect and store information on the production of the seed and
propagating material belonging to the previous generations of the basic seed of the
variety included in Variety List as well as other information and documents pertaining to
the maintenance of the variety.
(3) The maintainer of a variety shall present, by the deadline and at the place
prescribed by the registrar, information and documents pertaining to the maintenance of
the variety together with the seed or a sample, specimen or variety constituent of
propagating material of the variety necessary for performing a test or replacing a standard
sample. Standard samples are stored in adherence to the instructions of the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development (hereinafter OECD).
(4) The minimum requirements for the characteristics of agricultural plant and
vegetable species and the requirements for maintenance checks of varieties performed in
the course of supervision shall be established by the Minister of Agriculture taking
account, in addition to the requirements provided by the legislation of the European
Union, also of the requirements of the instructions for registration trials issued by the
CPVO and UPOV.
§ 30. Extension of term of maintenance of variety in Variety List
(1) Based on the request of an applicant, the registrar may extend the term for
maintaining a variety in the Variety List for up to ten years after the day following the
date of expiry of the term for maintaining the variety in the Variety List if it is established
that the variety of the agricultural plant or vegetable species continues to exist.
(2) For extension of the term for maintaining a variety in the Variety List, the
applicant must submit the request specified in subsection (1) of this section to the
registrar two years prior to the date provided in subsection 28 (3) of this Act.
(3) The registrar shall make a decision on extension of the term for maintaining a
variety in the Variety List or a decision to refuse to extend the term for maintaining a
variety in the Variety List within ten working days after receiving the results of the
maintenance checks of the variety.
§ 31. Exclusion from Variety List
(1) A variety is excluded from the variety List if:
1) the variety does not meet the requirements of this Act;
2) incorrect information has been knowingly submitted in the application for entry
of the variety in the Variety List or for performance of the registration trials;
3) the state fee has not been paid for the year of maintaining the variety in the
Variety List;
4) the term for maintaining the variety in the Variety List has expired;
5) the applicant for the plant variety has submitted a corresponding application.
(2) If a circumstance specified in clauses (1) 1)–3) or 5) of this section becomes
evident, the registrar shall make a decision on exclusion from the Variety List within ten
working days after becoming aware of the circumstance set out in clauses (1) 1)–3) or
receiving the application specified in clause 5) of this section.
§ 32. Performance of production trials with variety concerning which application for
entry in Variety Gazette has been submitted
(1) A person applying for entry of a variety of an agricultural species in the Variety
List in Estonia or a person applying for entry of a variety of a vegetable species in the
Variety List in Estonia or another Member State may conduct a production trial of the
variety in order to establish its cultivation value under production conditions, and to
market the seed of the variety for the purposes of carrying out the trial.
(2) The quantity of seed necessary for carrying out the production trial specified in
subsection (1) of this section may be marketed with the registrar's permission granted in
accordance to Commission Decision 2004/842/EC concerning implementing rules
whereby Member States may authorise the placing on the market of seed belonging to
varieties for which an application for entry in the national catalogue of varieties of
agricultural plant species or vegetable species has been submitted (OJ L 362, 9.12.2004,
pp. 21–27).
(3) A person specified in subsection (1) of this section wishing to obtain the
permission shall submit a corresponding application to the registrar. The registrar shall
make a decision on granting permission for a production trial or a decision to refuse to
grant permission for a production trial within thirty days after receiving the application.
(4) The maximum quantities of seed and seed potatoes permitted for performance of
production trials shall be established by the Minister of Agriculture.
§ 33. List of recommended varieties of agricultural plants
(1) The registrar may prepare a list of recommended varieties of agricultural plants on
the basis of the varieties of agricultural plants entered in the Variety List. The list of
recommended varieties of agricultural plants is a list of varieties of agricultural plants
which, as a result of additional testing, are proven to have better characteristics for
growing in the soil and climate conditions of Estonia or, depending on the plant species,
in artificial conditions.
(2) The holder of a plant variety right wishing to enter a variety in the list of
recommended varieties of agricultural plants shall submit an application to this effect to
the registrar.
(3) The registrar shall perform additional tests based on a submitted application.
Direct costs related to the conduct of additional tests shall be paid by the applicant on the
basis of an invoice submitted to the applicant.
(4) The Minister of Agriculture may establish the requirements for compilation of the
list of recommended varieties of agricultural plants.
(5) The list of recommended varieties of agricultural plants shall be published on the
website of the registrar and in the official publication of the Plant Production
Inspectorate.
§ 34. Lists of varieties of fruit, berry and ornamental plant species
(1) Suppliers of fruit, berry and ornamental plant species shall compile a list of
varieties produced, processed or marketed thereby.
(2) A list specified in subsection (1) of this section need not be compiled if a variety
is:
1) known;
2) entered in the state Plant Varieties Register;
3) protected.
(3) The requirements for compilation of lists of varieties of fruit, berry and
ornamental plant species shall be established by the Minister of Agriculture.
Division 3
Plant Variety Right
§ 35. Nature of plant variety right
(1) A plant variety right is granted with respect to all plant genera and species,
including hybrids between genera or species. A plant variety right shall not granted with
respect to varieties which have been granted a plant variety right of the European Union
pursuant to Council Regulation 2100/94 on Community plant variety rights (OJ L 227,
01.09.1994, pp. 1–30).
(2) Based on a plant variety right, the holder of the plant variety right has the
exclusive right, and other persons duly authorised by the holder of the plant variety right
have the right to:
1) produce the seed and propagating and cultivating material of the variety;
2) market the seed and propagating and cultivating material of the variety;
3) import the seed and propagating and cultivating material of the variety;
4) export the seed and propagating and cultivating material of the variety;
5) possess the seed and propagating and cultivating material of the variety for the
purposes listed in clauses 1)–4) of this section.
(3) A variety protected by a variety right may be used without authorisation by the
holder of the plant variety right:
1) in scientific research and in official trials conducted for the purposes of
comparison;
2) as parental material for breeding new varieties;
3) for personal use with no commercial purposes.
§ 36. Scope of plant variety right
(1) The rights of the holder of a plant variety right specified in subsection 35 (2) of
this Act also apply to varieties:
1) which are essentially derived from a variety protected by a plant variety right if
the protected variety is not an essentially derived variety;
2) which are not clearly distinguishable from the protected variety according to
subsection 11 (1) of this Act;
3) where the protected variety is used repeatedly for production of the seed or
propagating or cultivating material of the variety.
(2) An operator may grow small quantities of seed and propagating material of
protected varieties of certain plant species, except for the seed and propagating material
of hybrid and synthetic species, in order to obtain agricultural produce, and to produce
such seed and material for use within its own enterprise without having to enter into a
licence agreement and without paying a licence fee.
(3) For the purposes of this Act, growing in small quantities shall mean the growing
of the seed and propagating material of protected varieties in cases where up to 10
hectares of arable land is used for growing the agricultural species, and up to 1 hectare of
arable land is used for growing potatoes. Grassland which are in use or are intended for
use for a period over five years shall not be included in the arable land used for growing
small quantities of plants.
(4) The Minister of Agriculture shall establish the list of the plant species specified in
subsection (2) of this section.
(5) An operator who grows, for obtaining agricultural produce, the seed or
propagating material of a plant species included in the list established based on
subsection (4) of this section within its enterprise on an area larger than the area provided
in subsection (3) of this section must pay a reasonable fee to the holder of the
corresponding plant variety right. Such reasonable fee must be significantly lower than
the licence fee payable by a producer of the seed of the variety of the same plant species
or by a supplier engaging in the production of the propagating material of the variety of
the same plant species.
(6) The holder of a plant variety right and the operator specified in subsection (5) of
this section or a non-profit association of such operators shall agree on a reasonable fee.
If the size of the fee has not been agreed upon, the holder of the plant variety right may
request that the operator pay a fee which does not exceed one half of the licence fee
payable by a producer of the seed of the variety of the same plant species or by a supplier
engaging in the production of the propagating material of the variety of the same plant
species.
(7) An operator growing small quantities of a protected variety and an operator
specified in subsection (5) of this section shall keep record of their activities and inform
the holder of the plant variety right or the registrar of the quantities of seed or
propagating material derived from the protected variety at their request.
§ 37. Conditions for grant of plant variety right
A plant variety right is granted if the variety conforms to the requirements of § 10 of this
Act, is new and a Community plant variety right has not been granted with respect to the
variety.
§ 38. Novelty
(1) A variety is deemed to be new if the holder of the plant variety right or another
person authorised by the holder has not, by the date of submission of the application to
the registrar, marketed the seed, propagating material, cultivating material, constituents or
plant material of the variety, or used it in another manner longer than for:
1) one year in the territory of the Republic of Estonia;
2) four years within the territory of another state;
3) six years within the territory of another state in the case of trees and grapevine.
(2) A variety is also deemed to be new if
1) the variety has been marketed or used in another manner without the knowledge
of the holder of the plant variety right and in violation of the rights of the holder of the
right;
2) the variety is marketed for the purpose of transfer of the right of ownership in the
variety;
3) the holder of the plant variety right has entered into a contract for the production
of the seed, propagating or cultivating material of the variety but the variety has not been
marketed or used for the production of hybrid varieties;
4) the variety has been used in scientific research, including in tests or trials;
5) the variety is displayed at an official exhibition or described in an exhibition
catalogue;
6) the plant material produced or harvested in the manner indicated in clauses 3) and
4) of this subsection is marketed as a by-product without variety identification.
§ 39. Conditions for grant of plant variety right
(1) Grant of plant variety right is a procedure in the course of which the registrar
verifies the conformity of a variety to the requirements for varieties pertaining to their
distinctness, uniformity, stability, variety denomination and novelty, establishes the fact
that a Community plant variety right has not been granted with respect to the variety and
makes an entry concerning the grant of the plant variety right with respect to the variety
in the state Plant Varieties Register.
(2) The application for a plant variety right shall be submitted by the owner of the
variety. If there are several owners of a variety, they shall submit a joint application with
an indication of the percentage of the share of each owner.
(3) The registrar shall publish applications for plant variety rights on its website and
in the official publication of the Plant Production Inspectorate.
§ 40. Transfer of right to apply for plant variety right
(1) The owner of a variety may transfer, by way of written agreement, the right to
apply for a plant variety right to another person.
(2) A copy of the agreement together with the data of the owner of the variety and the
person to whom the right of application was transferred shall be forwarded to the
registrar.
§ 41. Provisional protection of variety by variety right
(1) A variety is deemed to be under provisional protection by variety right from the
date of receipt of the application for a plant variety right until the date of making the
decision on the grant of the plant variety right or the decision to refuse to grant the plant
variety right.
(2) During the period of provisional protection of a plant variety, the requirements for
varieties protected by variety rights provided by this Act apply to the variety.
§ 42. Priority
(1) Priority is the preferential right of the person who files the first application for
protection of a variety by plant variety right or the legal successor of such person to apply
for a plant variety right.
(2) The registrar shall determine the priority of the grant of a variety right concerning
a variety by the date of receipt of the applications. If several applications for the grant of
a plant variety right for the same variety are received on one day by the registrar, priority
shall be determined according to the order in which they are received.
(3) If the same person has filed, less than one year previously, an application for the
grant of a plant variety right with regard to the same variety in another country, the
registrar shall determine, at the request of the applicant, the priority of the application as
of the date of the receipt of the application by the registrar of the other country. For such
purpose, the person shall provide the registrar with a copy of the application for a plant
variety right as received by the registrar of the other country together with a translation of
the application for the plant variety right into Estonian. The copy shall be certified by the
registrar of the other state. A copy of the application for a plant variety right received by
the registrar of the other country and a translation of the application into Estonian may be
submitted within three months after the date of submission of the application to the
registrar.
§ 43. Filing of objections
(1) An interested person may file a reasoned objection with the registrar within six
months after publication of an application for a plant variety right.
(2) An objection may be made concerning the novelty, distinctness, uniformity or
stability of a variety, or concerning the right to apply for variety protection by plant
variety right.
(3) The objector has the right to obtain documents from the registrar in order to prove
the facts set out in the objection.
(4) The registrar shall notify an applicant of a submitted objection by sending a
registered letter with advice of delivery within ten working days after receipt of the
objection.
§ 44. Response to objection
(1) Within three months of receipt of an objection, the applicant shall submit a written
position concerning the objection which shall set out whether the applicant refuses to
amend the application, to amend the application or to withdraw the application. If
necessary, the registrar may extend such term.
(2) The registrar shall forward a response to the objector by sending a registered letter
with advice of delivery within ten working days after receipt of the objection.
(3) The objector shall give written notice within thirty days after receiving the
response as to whether the objector wishes to maintain or withdraw the objection. An
objection is deemed to be withdrawn if the objector has not given notice by the due date
as to whether the objector wishes to maintain or withdraw the objection.
(4) If the applicant has not responded to an objection by the due date, the application
for a plant variety right submitted thereby is deemed to be withdrawn.
§ 45. Decision concerning objection
The registrar shall make a decision on satisfying an objection, organisation of new
registration trials or refusal to satisfy an objection within thirty working days after the
date specified in subsection 44 (3) of this Act.
§ 46. Grant of plant variety right and refusal to grant plant variety right
(1) If a variety conforms to the requirements provided by this Act, the registrar shall
make a decision on protection of the variety by plant variety right and on the same day,
make a corresponding entry in the state Plant Varieties Register.
(2) If a variety does not conform to the requirements provided by this Act, the
registrar shall make a decision on refusal to grant a plant variety right, and the provisional
protection of the variety ends on the date of making the decision.
(3) A variety entered in the state Plant Varieties Register, except for varieties of grape
vine and tree species, shall remain under variety protection for twenty five years after the
date of making the decision on protection of the variety by plant variety right. A variety
of a grape vine or tree species entered in the state Plant Varieties Register shall remain
under variety protection for thirty years after the date of making the decision on
protection of the variety by plant variety right.
(4) The validity of a plant variety right is suspended for the time the variety is
protected by a Community plant variety right.
(5) A variety protected by plant variety right must be maintained during the term of
the plant variety right. Maintenance of a variety protected by plant variety right shall be
guaranteed by the holder of the plant variety right. The holder of a plant variety right has
the same obligations upon maintaining a variety protected by plant variety right as the
maintainer of a variety of an agricultural or vegetable plant species entered in the Variety
List.
§ 47. Certificate of plant variety right
(1) The registrar shall issue a certificate of plant variety right to the holder of the plant
variety right within ten working days after the date of making the decision of protection
of the variety by plant variety right and making a corresponding entry in the state plant
variety right register. A certificate of plant variety right is valid during the period the
variety is protected by variety right.
(2) In the case a variety is placed under protection by variety right directly after the
variety is registered, the certificate of plant variety right substitutes for the variety
certificate.
(3) The Minister of Agriculture shall establish the substantive requirements for
certificates of plant variety rights.
§ 48. Extension of term of validity of plant variety right
(1) If a variety continues to conform to the requirements of this Act, the registrar may
extend the term of validity of the plant variety right for a period of five years as of the
day following the date of expiry of the plant variety right based on a written application
of the holder of the plant variety right.
(2) In order to have the term of validity of a plant variety right extended, the holder of
the plant variety right shall submit a corresponding application to the registrar within two
years before the expiry of the term of validity of the plant variety right.
(3) The registrar shall make a decision on extension of the term of validity of a plant
variety right or a decision to refuse to extend the term of validity of a plant variety right
no later than twenty working days before the expiry of the term of validity of the plant
variety right.
§ 49. Premature termination of plant variety right
(1) The registrar shall make a decision to revoke the decision on protection of a
variety by variety right if:
1) the holder of the plant variety right has submitted a written application to this
effect to the registrar;
2) a precept has not been complied with by the deadline set by such precept;
3) a new proposal for variety denomination has not been submitted during the term
prescribed for such purposes;
4) the variety is not maintained;
5) no state fee has been paid for keeping the variety under plant variety protection.
(2) The date of termination of the plant variety right shall be indicated by the holder
of the plant variety right in the application; in the absence of a date of termination, the
plant variety right is deemed to expire on the date of receipt of the application.
(3) Based on the proposal of a supervisory official, the registrar shall make a decision
to revoke a decision grant of a plant variety right within thirty days after the date of
receipt of the application specified in clause (1) 1), becoming aware of the circumstances
specified in clauses (1) 2) or 4) or after the date of expiry of the term specified in clause
(1) 3) of this section, and shall make a corresponding entry in the state Plant Varieties
Register.
§ 50. Retroactive termination of plant variety right
(1) The registrar shall make a decision to retroactively revoke a decision on the grant
of a plant variety right on the registrar’s own initiative or on the basis of an application of
an interested person if after the grant of the plant variety right it becomes evident that:
1) the variety did not meet the conditions for novelty and distinctness at the time
priority was determined for the plant variety right;
2) the variety was granted protection on the basis of documents and the results of a
registration trials conducted by a relevant competent authority of a foreign state
submitted by the applicant for the plant variety right and did not meet the conditions for
uniformity and stability;
3) the plant variety right certificate was issued to a person who was not entitled to
apply for the plant variety right.
(2) The registrar shall make a decision to retroactively revoke a decision on the grant
of a plant variety right within thirty days after the establishment of a circumstance
specified in subsection (1) of this section and shall make a corresponding entry in the
state Plant Varieties Register.
(3) If a decision on the grant of a plant variety right is revoked retroactively, the plant
variety right is deemed to be revoked as of the time it was granted.
§ 51. Transfer of rights of holder of plant variety right
(1) The holder of a plant variety right may transfer the rights attached to the variety to
another person.
(2) In the event of the death of the holder of a plant variety right if the holder is a
natural person, or the dissolution of the holder of a plant variety right if the holder is a
legal person, the rights of the holder of the variety transfer to the successors or legal
successor thereof.
(3) In order to amend the data in the register pertaining to the holder of a plant variety
right, the person to whom the rights of the holder transfer shall submit a corresponding
application to the registrar, accompanied by a document in proof of transfer or an
officially certified copy thereof.
(4) The application specified in subsection (3) of this section shall be filed with the
registrar within one year after the date specified in the transaction, or after the date of
creation of the right of succession or legal succession. If the rights of the holder of a plant
variety right are transferred pursuant to a court judgment, the application shall be filed
with the registrar within thirty working days after the date on which the court judgment
enters into force.
(5) The registrar shall make a relevant entry in the register within five working days
after receiving the application specified in subsection (3) of this section.
(6) The rights of the holder of a plant variety right are deemed to be transferred to
another person from the date of transfer of the rights pursuant to a transaction or a court
judgment, or from the date of creation of the right of succession or legal succession.
(7) A person to whom the rights of the holder of a plant variety right transfer on the
basis and pursuant to the provisions of this section may commence the performance of
the rights of the holder of a plant variety right as of the date of making the register entry
specified in subsection (5) of this section.
Division 4
Licence and Compulsory Licence
§ 52. Licence
(1) The holder of a plant variety right (licencor) may transfer the rights of the holder
of the plant variety right specified in subsection 35 (2) of this Act to another person
(licencee) by way of a written licence agreement (hereinafter licence).
(2) By transfer of the rights of the holder of a plant variety right to another person, the
rights and obligations arising from the licence shall also transfer to such person.
§ 53. Compulsory licence
(1) A compulsory licence is a non-exclusive licence issued by the Minister of
Agriculture in cases where the holder of a plant variety right refuses to issue a licence to
a person interested in and able to use the variety protected by plant variety right if:
1) the use of the protected variety is in the public interest, or
2) the licensor has not, within three years after a plant variety right was issued
concerning the variety, used the variety or issued a licence for the use of the variety by
another person.
(2) In order to obtain a compulsory licence, the person interested in using the variety
protected by plant variety right shall submit a relevant application to the Minister of
Agriculture.
(3) An application for a compulsory licence shall set out the information in proof of
the facts specified in subsection (1) of this section.
§ 54. Issue of compulsory licence
(1) Based on the information included in an application for a compulsory licence, the
Minister of Agriculture shall assess whether the issue of the compulsory licence is
justified.
(2) The Minister of Agriculture shall make a decision to issue a compulsory licence or
to refuse to issue a compulsory licence within thirty working days after the date of receipt
of the application.
(3) The right to exploit a protected variety arising from a compulsory licence is
created as of the date of making of the relevant entry in the state Plant Varieties Register.
(4) The issue of a compulsory licence does not prevent the holder of the plant variety
right form exploiting the variety protected by the variety right or from issuing a licence
with respect to the variety to another person.
§ 55. Terms and conditions of compulsory licence
(1) A compulsory licence shall set out the extent of the use of the rights attached to
the variety protected by variety right subject to transfer as well as the territory where
those rights may be used, and specify the licence fee which the licencee must pay to the
holder of the plant variety right. The licence fee shall be based on the average licence fee
applied for relevant plant species. In the case of a compulsory licence for exploitation of
an essentially derived variety, payment of a fee to the holder of the initial variety right
shall also be prescribed.
(2) The holder of a plant variety right to variety for the exploitation of which a
compulsory licence has been issued is required to transfer the seed or propagating
material of the variety to the licensee in a quantity necessary for propagation
(multiplication) of the variety for the market price of a similar variety.
(3) A compulsory licence is issued for a term of two to four years. If the
circumstances which constituted the basis for issue of a compulsory licence continue to
exist at the time of expiry of the term of the compulsory licence, the Minister of
Agriculture has the right to grant a new compulsory licence for exploitation of the variety
with the term of four years based on the application of the licencee.
§ 56. Revocation of compulsory licence
The Minister of Agriculture shall deem a compulsory licence invalid before the date of
expiry of the compulsory licence if:
1) the licensee violates the terms of the compulsory licence;
2) the need for the compulsory licence ceases to exist.
Division 5
State Plant Varieties Register
§ 57. Foundation and organisation of activities of state Plant Varieties Register
(1) The state Plant Varieties Register (hereinafter register) is a national register
established by the Government of the Republic on the proposal of the Minister of
Agriculture. The statutes of the register shall be enacted by the Government of the
Republic.
(2) The chief processor of the register is the Ministry of Agriculture and the
authorised processor of the register is the Plant Production Inspectorate.
§ 58. Information subject to entry in register
(1) Information concerning a variety prescribed by this Act shall be entered in the
register.
(2) Register entries are made based on a submitted application or a decision of the
registrar.
§ 59. Refusal to make register entry
The registrar shall refuse to make an entry in the register if:
1) the state fee is not paid;
2) the applicant has knowingly provided incorrect information to the registrar or a
supervisory official, or has unlawfully influenced the registrar or a supervisory official.
§ 60. Amendment of register entry
(1) In the case of a change to the data which constitutes the basis for a register entry,
the person shall give the registrar written notification thereof within fourteen days after
the date on which the change to the data took place.
(2) The registrar shall make a decision to amend a register entry within five working
days after the date of receipt of the relevant notice.
§ 61. Protection and disclosure of data entered in register
(1) Data entered in the register shall be public, except for data not subject to
disclosure, and shall be published on the web page of the registrar or on paper, in both
cases taking account of the requirements of the Personal Data Protection Act.
(2) Access to data not subject to disclosure and private personal data specified in the
Personal Data Protection Act shall be restricted, and such data may be used for official
purposes only by the head of the supervisory authority or a supervisory official appointed
by the head of the authority.
(3) For the purposes of this Act, data not subject to disclosure shall not be data
pertaining to the danger which a variety poses to the environment, human health or plant
health.
(4) Information in the register shall be preserved permanently.
Chapter 3
Production and Certification
§ 62. Production
(1) For the purposes of this Act, production of seed and propagating material shall
mean the propagation of seed or propagating material by vegetative propagation or other
methods as well as the processing, storage and packaging of seed or propagating material
for marketing purposes.
(2) For the purposes of this Act, production of cultivating material shall mean the
compilation of seed lots of forest trees for marketing purposes as well as the growing of
planting material from seed, plant parts or plants.
§ 63. Suppliers of propagating and cultivating material
For the purposes of this Act, a supplier of propagating and cultivating material shall mean
a natural or legal person entered in the plant health register pursuant to the Plant
Protection Act engaged in the propagation, production, storage, processing or marketing
of propagating and cultivating material.
§ 64. Requirements for suppliers of propagating and cultivating material
(1) A person wishing to engage in the production of cultivating material or the
micropropagation of plant species shall hold a corresponding activity licence.
(2) Suppliers of propagating and cultivating material shall take all necessary measures
to guarantee the production of propagating and cultivating material in adherence to the
requirements of this Act and the conformity of the propagating and cultivating material.
(3) In order to comply with the requirement specified in subsection (2) of this section,
a supplier of propagating material of horticultural plants or a supplier of cultivating
material engaged in the production of plants of forest trees shall determine, based on the
production method used, the main critical points of the production process as well as the
measures applied in such points of the process, shall record the above and guarantee the
use of such measures (hereinafter own checks program).
(4) The own checks program of suppliers of cultivating material shall be in
compliance with the production method of the cultivating material and include
requirements and an action plan for the control of pests reducing the quality of the
cultivating material and of hazardous pests, and for the evaluation of the quality of the
plants.
(5) The requirements for the own checks program of suppliers of propagating material
of horticultural plants shall be established by the Minister of Agriculture.
(6) The requirements for the own checks program of suppliers of cultivating material
engaged in the production of plants of forest trees shall be established by the Minister of
the Environment.
§ 65. Production requirements and requirements for plots of land, buildings, construction
works and plant material used for production
(1) A supplier shall guarantee that propagating or cultivating material is produced:
1) on a plot of land, or in a building or construction works prescribed for production,
and shall prevent the contamination of the plants by hazardous pests or pests reducing the
quality of the produced plant species;
2) in the case of cultivating material, by using technology suitable for such purposes;
3) in the case of micropropagation, in a laboratory conforming to the requirements.
(2) Propagating and cultivation material produced by way of micropropagation shall
have identity and purity of species and variety.
(3) For production of seed in seed orchards, progeny of plus-trees recognised by the
Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture shall be used upon foundation of the seed-
orchards.
(4) A list of pests which reduce the quality of seed or propagating material of a plant
species or a group of plant species and their maximum permitted quantities shall be
established by the Minister of Agriculture.
(5) The Minister of Agriculture shall establish the requirements for the
micropropagation of propagating material and for laboratories engaging in
micropropagation.
(6) The requirements for laboratories engaging in micropropagation of cultivating
material shall be established by the Minister of the Environment.
(7) The requirements for the production of seed and propagating material shall be
established by the Minister of Agriculture.
(8) The requirements provided in this section apply to the production of parents of
seed, propagating and cultivating material of hybrid species, and to the production of
rootstock of propagating and cultivating material.
§ 66. Activity licence for production of cultivating material and procedure for issue
thereof
(1) A person wishing to engage in the production of cultivating material shall submit
a corresponding application to the Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture in order to
obtain an activity licence. A person must obtain an activity licence before commencing
the production of cultivating material.
(2) In order to decide on the issue of an activity licence for production of cultivating
material, the Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture shall assess the conformity of
the applicant and the applicant's enterprise to the requirements of this Act on the basis of
the application and on site inspection of the enterprise, based on the cultivating material
the production of which the applicant wishes to commence. A supervisory official shall
prepare an inspection report concerning on-site inspection of an enterprise.
(3) The Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture shall make a decision to issue or
a decision to refuse to issue an activity licence for production of cultivating material
within fifteen working days after the date of receipt of the corresponding application.
(4) The Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture shall refuse to issue an activity
licence for production of cultivating material to an applicant if:
1) the enterprise does not meet the requirements;
2) the applicant has knowingly submitted false information;
3) the applicant has unlawfully influenced a supervisory official.
(5) An activity licence for the production of cultivating material is issued for a term
of five years. The Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture may extend the term of an
activity licence based on a written application of the holder of the activity licence for a
period of up to five years as of the day after the date of expiry of the activity licence if the
holder of the activity licence and the enterprise thereof continue to conform to the
requirements of this Act.
(6) For extension of an activity licence for the production of cultivating material, the
holder of the activity licence shall submit a corresponding application to the Centre of
Forest Protection and Silviculture at least thirty days prior to the expiry of the term of
validity of the licence. The Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture shall make a
decision to issue or a decision to refuse to issue an activity licence within fifteen working
days after the date of receipt of the corresponding application.
(7) If the holder of an activity licence for the production of cultivating material
wishes to engage in growing cultivating material of a tree species other than that for
which the activity licence was issued, the holder of the licence must apply for amendment
of the activity licence for the production of cultivating material.
(8) The Minister of the Environment shall establish the requirements for an
application for an activity licence for the production of cultivating material and the
contents of such activity licence.
§ 67. Suspension of activity licence for production of cultivating material
(1) An activity licence for the production of cultivating material shall be suspended in
part or in full until:
1) the circumstances of the violation of this Act are clarified;
2) the precept is complied with, if the conformity of the cultivating material
produced or intermediated by the enterprise cannot be ensured due to the circumstances
temporarily prevailing in the enterprise.
(2) The Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture shall make a decision to suspend
an activity licence for the production of cultivating material in part or in full within ten
working days after the circumstances specified in subsection (1) of this section become
evident.
(3) After becoming aware of the suspension of the activity licence for the production
of cultivating material, the supplier shall suspend the production of the cultivating
material to the extent specified in the decision.
(4) The supplier shall inform the supervisory authority of the elimination of the
circumstances which constituted the basis for the suspension of the activity licence for
the production of cultivating material. The supervisory authority shall verify the
correctness of the submitted information.
(5) If the circumstances which constituted the basis for the suspension of the activity
licence for the production of cultivating material are eliminated, the Centre of Forest
Protection and Silviculture shall restore the validity of the activity licence for the
production of cultivating material.
§ 68. Revocation of activity licence for production of cultivating material
(1) An activity licence for production of cultivating material shall be revoked in part
or in full, if the supplier:
1) has submitted a corresponding application;
2) has knowingly submitted incorrect information to the supervisory authority or has
unlawfully influenced a supervisory official;
3) has repeatedly failed to eliminate, by the due date specified in the precept, any
deficiencies discovered in the course of inspection;
4) is unable to meet the requirements arising from this Act due to permanent
conditions prevailing in the enterprise;
5) has terminated its activities.
(2) The Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture shall make a decision to revoke
an activity licence for the production of cultivating material in part or in full within ten
days after the circumstances specified in subsection (1) of this section become evident.
(3) After becoming aware of the revocation of the activity licence for the production
of cultivating material, the supplier shall suspend the production of the cultivating
material to the extent specified in the decision.
§ 69. Activity licence for micropropagation of plant species and procedure for issue
thereof
(1) A person wishing to engage in the micropropagation of a plant species shall
submit an application for an activity licence concerning propagating material to the Plant
Production Inspectorate and concerning the plants of forest trees to the Centre of Forest
Protection and Silviculture (hereinafter together referred to as supervisory authority). A
person must obtain an activity licence before commencing the micropropagation of plants
of forest trees.
(2) In order to decide on the grant of an activity licence for the micropropagation of a
plant species, the supervisory authority shall assess the conformity of the applicant and
the applicant's enterprise to the requirements of this Act on the basis of the application
and on-site inspection of the enterprise, with regard to the plant species the
micropropagation of which the applicant wishes to commence. An inspection report shall
be prepared concerning on-site inspection of an enterprise
(3) If an enterprise is found to be conforming, the supervisory authority shall issue an
activity licence for the micropropagation of a plant species.
(4) The supervisory authority shall refuse to issue an activity licence for the
micropropagation of a plant species, if:
1) the enterprise does not meet the requirements;
2) the applicant has knowingly submitted false information;
3) the applicant has unlawfully influenced a supervisory official.
(5) The supervisory authority shall make a decision to issue an activity licence for the
micropropagation of a plant species or a decision to refuse to issue such licence within
thirty working days after the date of receipt of the corresponding application.
(6) An activity licence for the micropropagation of a plant species is issued for a term
of three years. The supervisory authority may extend the term of an activity licence based
on a written application of the holder of the activity licence for a period of up to three
years as of the day after the date of expiry of the activity licence if the holder of the
activity licence and the enterprise thereof continue to conform to the requirements of this
Act.
(7) For extension of an activity licence for the micropropagation of a plant species,
the holder of the activity licence shall submit a corresponding application to the
supervisory authority at least thirty days prior to the expiry of the term of validity of the
licence. An application for extension of an activity licence shall be processed pursuant to
the same procedure and within the same term as an application for an activity licence.
(8) If the holder of an activity licence for the micropropagation of a plant species
wishes to engage in the micropropagation of a plant species other than that for the
micropropagation of which the activity licence was issued, the supplier must apply for
amendment of the activity licence for the micropropagation of the plant species.
§ 70. Suspension of activity licence for micropropagation of plant species
(1) An activity licence for the micropropagation of a plant species shall be suspended
in part or in full until:
1) the circumstances of the violation of this Act are clarified;
2) the precept is complied with, if the conformity of the propagating or cultivating
material produced or intermediated by the enterprise cannot be ensured due to the
circumstances temporarily prevailing in the enterprise.
(2) The supervisory authority shall make a decision to suspend an activity licence for
the micropropagation of a plant species in part or in full within ten working days after the
circumstances specified in subsection (1) of this section become evident.
(3) After becoming aware of the suspension of the activity licence for the
micropropagation of a plant species, the supplier shall suspend the micropropagation of
the plant species to the extent specified in the decision.
(4) The supplier shall inform the supervisory authority of the elimination of the
circumstances which constituted the basis for the suspension of the activity licence for
the micropropagation of a plant species. The supervisory authority shall verify the
correctness of the submitted information.
(5) If the circumstances which constituted the basis for the suspension of the activity
licence for the micropropagation of a plant species are eliminated, the supervisory
authority shall restore the validity of the activity licence for the micropropagation of a
plant species.
§ 71. Revocation of activity licence for micropropagation of plant species
(1) An activity licence for the micropropagation of plant species shall be revoked in
part or in full, if the supplier:
1) has submitted a corresponding application;
2) has knowingly submitted incorrect information to the supervisory authority or has
unlawfully influenced a supervisory official;
3) has repeatedly failed to eliminate, by the due date specified in the precept, any
deficiencies discovered in the course of inspection;
4) is unable to meet the requirements arising from this Act due to permanent
conditions prevailing in the enterprise;
5) has terminated its activities.
(2) The head of the supervisory authority shall make a decision to revoke an activity
licence for the micropropagation of a plant species in part or in full within ten working
days after the circumstances specified in subsection (1) of this section become evident.
(3) After becoming aware of the revocation of the activity licence for the
micropropagation of a plant species, the supplier shall suspend the micropropagation of
the plant species to the extent specified in the decision.
§ 72. Requirements for persons producing mixtures of fodder plant seeds
(1) The enterprise of a person wishing to engage in the production of a mixture of
fodder plant seed must have appropriate equipment and facilities for the production of
such mixture and other necessary means. The enterprise shall have a technological layout
and description of the production process of the mixture of fodder plant seed and an
employee whose duty is to guarantee that production is carried out in adherence to the
technological layout and description.
(2) A person wishing to engage in the production of a mixture of fodder plant seed
shall inform the Plant Production Inspectorate of such activity. The application shall be
submitted at least thirty days before the production of a mixture of fodder plant seed is
commenced, changed or terminated.
(3) The Plant Production Inspectorate shall publish information concerning a person
engaged in the production of mixtures of fodder plant seeds, the enterprise thereof, the
name of the produced mixture of fodder plant seeds, and the species and varieties of
fodder plants contained in the mixture on its website. At the same time, a mixture of
fodder plant seed is given a non-recurrent code which designates the number of the lot of
the seed mixture and sets out the content of the seed mixture, specifying the species and
varieties used.
(4) A person engaged in the production of a mixture of fodder plant seed shall keep
record of the species, varieties and quantities of plants used in production, the quantities
of the mixture produced, and the species and varieties contained in the mixture.
§ 73. Certification of seed and propagating or cultivating material
(1) Certification of seed and propagating material means ascertaining the descent, and
the identity, purity and quality of the species and variety of the seed or propagating
material, and assessment of the conformity thereof to the plant health requirements in
accordance with internationally established requirements, and the sealing and marking of
the packaging of certified seed and seed potatoes under the supervision of the Plant
Production Inspectorate. Depending on the plant species or group of species, the field
inspection, analysing of samples and post-control field trials shall be conducted in the
course of certification.
(2) Field inspection shall mean the establishment of the descent of seed and
propagating material, and the identity and purity of the species and variety of the growing
seedling stands.
(3) Field inspection is carried out by a supervisory official or, for particular species
and categories of plants, by an authorised field inspector.
(4) Samples are taken by a supervisory official or a person authorised by the
supervisory authority to take samples.
(5) The Minister of Agriculture shall establish the sizes of samples and the
requirements for assessment of the conformity of seed and propagating material.
(6) For the purposes of this Act, certification of cultivating material shall mean the
analysing of the seed of forest trees by an accredited laboratory using internationally
recognised methods, and the assessment of the conformity to established quality
requirements and the descent of other plant material, and the issue of document in proof
of certification by the Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture, and the sealing of the
sales packaging of certified seed under the supervision of the Centre of Forest Protection
and Silviculture.
(7) The procedure and requirements for the certification of seed and propagating
material by plant species or groups of plant species shall be established by the Minister of
Agriculture.
(8) The procedure for the certification of seed and propagating material shall be
established by the Minister of the Environment.
§ 74. Organisation and extent of certification
(1) The certification of seed and propagating material is organised by the Plant
Production Inspectorate on the basis of an application by owner of the seed or
propagating material or the representative or maintainer thereof. The certification of
cultivating material is organised by the Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture on
the basis of an application by a supplier producing or marketing the cultivating material.
(2) Seed and seed potatoes of the varieties entered in the Variety List or the Common
catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant and vegetable species, and propagating
material and cultivating material of the varieties of the fruit and berry species entered in
the list specified in subsection 34 (1) of this Act is subject to certification.
(3) The seed and seed potatoes of a variety excluded from the Variety List may be
certified and marketed until 30 June of the third year after the date of exclusion of the
variety from the Variety List.
(4) In the case of certification of hybrids, all parents and components of a variety used
for the production of seed or propagating material must be certified.
(5) The list of agricultural and horticultural plant species subject to certification shall
be established by the Minister of Agriculture.
(6) The list of species of forest trees subject to certification shall be established by the
Minister of the Environment.
§ 75. Document attesting certification and validity thereof
(1) A document attesting certification is issued for lots of certified seed or
propagating material by the Plant Production Inspectorate and for lots of certified
cultivating material by the Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture.
(2) The requirements for the content of a document attesting the certification of seed
and propagating material by plant species or groups of plant species shall be established
by the Minister of Agriculture.
(3) The requirements for the content of a document attesting the certification of
cultivating material shall be established by the Minister of the Environment.
(4) The term of validity of a document attesting the certification of seed and
propagating material of agricultural and horticultural plants by plant species or groups of
plant species shall be established by the Minister of Agriculture.
(5) The term of validity of a document attesting the certification of cultivating
material shall be determined by the issuer of the document depending on the quality of
the lot of cultivating material.
(6) The term of validity of a document attesting the certification of seed may be
extended at the request of the owner of the seed lot. For such purpose, the owner of a
seed lot shall submit a corresponding application to the Plant Production Inspectorate or,
in the case of cultivating material, to the Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture
within thirty days before the expiry of the document attesting certification.
(7) If a seed lot conforms to the requirements established for the germination rate of
certified seeds, the Plant Production Inspectorate or the Centre of Forest Protection and
Silviculture shall extend the term of validity of the document attesting certification by
making a notice on extension on the document.
§ 76. Other seed and propagating or cultivating material
(1) For the purposes of this Act, other seed shall mean conforming standard or
commercial seed of plant species subject to certification which may be placed on the
market, or conforming seed of plant species not subject to certification.
(2) For the purposes of this Act, other propagating and cultivating material shall mean
uncertified propagating and cultivating material of plant species subject to certification,
and conforming propagating and cultivating material of plant species not subject to
certification.
(3) The conformity of other seed to the quality requirements shall be guaranteed by
the producer or distributor of the seed. The conformity of other propagating and
cultivating material to the quality requirements shall be guaranteed by the supplier
thereof.
(4) The quality requirements for other seed and propagating material by plant species
or groups of plant species shall be established by the Minister of Agriculture.
(5) The quality requirements for other cultivating material shall be established by the
Minister of the Environment.
(6) In the case of seed and propagating and cultivating material of hybrids, the quality
requirements provided for in this section apply to all parents and components of a variety
used for the production of seed or propagating material.
§ 77. Maintenance of records on production
(1) A supplier engaged in the production of propagating or cultivating material:
1) shall have a land use plan, or a field record established by the Water Act
concerning a plot of land which the supplier uses for the production of propagating or
cultivating material in the possession thereof;
2) shall have a plan for use concerning a building or construction works which the
supplier uses for the production of propagating or cultivating material.
(2) A land use plan is a body of data kept on paper or in digital form which contains
the data of the user, a map of the land possession, and data characterising buildings and
construction works such as data concerning their areas and data on produced crops.
Where necessary, propagation of digital data on paper must be possible.
(3) Producers of seed shall keep a field record.
(4) Producers of seed and suppliers engaged in the production of propagating and
cultivating material shall keep detailed records of compliance with the requirements
established for the production of seed and propagating and cultivating material.
Documents relating to the production of seed shall be preserved for five years and
documents relating to the production of propagating and cultivating material shall be
preserved for three years.
Chapter 4
Authorised Field Inspectors and Authorised Seed Sample Collectors
§ 78. Authorised field inspector
(1) An authorised field inspector (hereinafter field inspector) is a natural person who
has been authorised pursuant to the procedure provided by this Act to conduct field
inspection.
(2) A field inspector specified in subsection (1) of this section shall:
1) perform necessary acts pursuant to the procedure established by the Plant
Production Inspectorate and under the supervision thereof;
2) certify by his or her signature, in order to be authorised, that he or she will follow
the instructions given to him or her and shall not reap any gain from the performance of
the acts.
§ 79. Requirements for applicants for rights of field inspector
An applicant for the rights of a field inspector shall:
1) be educated in agriculture;
2) be in possession of means to perform the duties related to the authority;
3) be able to act impartially and provide appropriate assessments of actual situations
in seed fields.
§ 80. Training of field inspector
A field inspector shall have completed training organised by the Plant Production
Inspectorate on the same basis as a supervisory official.
§ 81. Application for authorisation as field inspector
(1) In order to be authorised as a field inspector, the applicant shall submit the
following to the Plant Production Inspectorate:
1) an application to be granted authority;
2) his or her curriculum vitae;
3) a copy of a document certifying education.
(2) The Plant Production Inspectorate shall review the documents specified in
subsection (1) of this section and shall assess the conformity of the applicant to the
requirements established for field inspectors. The Plant Production Inspectorate has the
right to verify the authenticity of the documents submitted by the applicant and, if
necessary, demand additional information and documents.
§ 82. Grant of authority of field inspector
(1) The Plant Production Inspectorate authorises persons as field inspectors and enters
into administrative contracts with them for the performance of the administrative task.
(2) The Plant Production Inspectorate decides to grant authority to an applicant or to
refuse to grant authority after the applicant has completed the training specified in § 80 of
this Act.
§ 83. Rights of field inspector
(1) A field inspector has the right, pursuant to the scope of his or her authority, to:
1) access information and documents necessary for the conduct of field inspection;
2) prepare field inspection reports;
3) use technical equipment for field inspection;
4) make proposals to the supervisory official of the territory in which he or she
operates to carry out post-control trials of the seed fields subject to field inspection.
(2) A field inspector has the right to surrender his or her authority by notifying the
Plant Production Inspectorate thereof by unregistered letter at least thirty days in
advance.
§ 84. Duties of field inspector
A field inspector is required to:
1) impartially perform the duties vested in him or her by his or her authority;
2) guarantee that field inspection reports and other documents are prepared in a
lawful, conforming and proper manner;
3) maintain business and professional secrets which become known to him or her
during field inspection;
4) ensure that a field inspection report is forwarded to the supervisory official of the
territory in which he or she operates within ten working days, and in the case of winter
crops, within five working days after the field inspection;
5) after termination of the authority, forward the document specified in clause 4) of
this subsection to the Plant Production Inspectorate;
6) at the request of the Plant Production Inspectorate, submit all documents needed
for supervision over the person's activity connected to the authority to the Plant
Production Inspectorate.
§ 85. Termination of authority
(1) Authorisation terminates by:
1) surrender of authority;
2) expiry of the term of authority;
3) the death of the authorised person;
4) withdrawal of authority.
(2) The Plant Production Inspectorate shall immediately take measures in order to
ensure that administrative tasks are performed if a contract under public law is terminated
unilaterally or another reason becomes evident which prevents a person from continuing
the performance of the administrative tasks.
§ 86. Suspension and withdrawal of authority
If the activity of a field inspector related to his or her authority does not conform to the
requirements, the Plant Production Inspectorate shall suspend the authority and set the
person a term for elimination of deficiencies. If the deficiencies are not eliminated during
the term, the Plant Production Inspectorate shall withdraw the authority and terminate the
contract under public law unilaterally.
§ 87. Authorised seed sample collector
(1) An authorised seed sample collector (hereinafter seed sample collector) is a
natural person who has been authorised pursuant to the procedure provided by this Act to
collect, using internationally recognised methods, seed samples from seed lots subject to
certification which are intended for marketing and are conditioned for such purposes in
order to determine the quality of the seed and to verify the varieties.
(2) A seed sample collector who enters into an employment contract with a person
engaged in the production or marketing of seed is permitted to take seed samples only
from the seed lots of his or her employer, unless the applicant for certification and the
Plant Production Inspectorate have agreed otherwise.
§ 88. Requirements for applicant for rights of seed sample collector
A person applying for the rights of a seed sample collector:
1) shall have completed seed sample collector training in the taking of seed samples
organised by a laboratory accredited pursuant to the methodology of the International
Seed Testing Association (hereinafter ISTA);
2) shall be able to act independently.
§ 89. Application for authority of seed sample collector
(1) In order to be authorised as a seed sample collector, the applicant shall submit the
following to the Plant Production Inspectorate:
1) an application to be granted authority;
2) his or her curriculum vitae;
3) a copy of a document certifying the completion of the seed sample collector
training.
(2) The Plant Production Inspectorate shall review the documents specified in
subsection (1) of this section and shall assess the conformity of the applicant to the
requirements established for seed sample collectors. The Plant Production Inspectorate
has the right to verify the authenticity of documents submitted by the applicant for
authority and, if necessary, demand additional information and documents.
§ 90. Authorisation as seed sample collector
(1) The Plant Production Inspectorate authorises persons as seed sample collectors
and enters into administrative contracts with them for the performance of the
administrative task.
(2) The Plant Production Inspectorate decides to authorise a person or to refuse to
authorise a person within thirty days after receiving a corresponding application.
§ 91. Duties of seed sample collector
A seed sample collector is required to:
1) perform the duties vested in him or her by his or her authority in an impartial
manner;
2) close the sales package or contained of a seed lot subject to certification with a
security sticker of the Plant Production Inspectorate;
3) guarantee that the order forms, labels of sample bags and security stickers are
filled out in a lawful, conforming and proper manner;
4) maintain business and professional secrets which become known to him or her
during the taking of samples;
5) at the request of the Plant Production Inspectorate, submit all documents needed
for supervision over the person's activity connected to the authority to the Plant
Production Inspectorate.
§ 92. Termination, suspension and withdrawal of authority
(1) Authorisation terminates by:
1) surrender of authority;
2) expiry of the term of authority;
3) the death of the authorised person;
4) withdrawal of authority.
(2) A seed sample collector has the right to has the right to surrender his or her
authority by notifying the Plant Production Inspectorate thereof by unregistered letter at
least thirty days in advance.
(3) If the activities of a seed sample collector related to his or her authority does not
conform to the requirements, the Plant Production Inspectorate shall suspend the
authority and set the person a term for elimination of deficiencies. If the deficiencies are
not eliminated during the term, the Plant Production Inspectorate shall withdraw the
authority and terminate the contract under public law unilaterally.
§ 93. Remuneration of authorised field inspector and authorised seed sample collectors
(1) Authorised field inspectors and authorised seed sample collectors are entitled to
receive remuneration for field inspection and collection of seed samples.
(2) Authorised field inspectors and authorised seed sample collectors are prohibited to
receive remuneration for services financed out of the state budget.
(3) Remuneration for services financed from the state budget shall be paid through
the budget of the Plant Production Inspectorate.
(4) The amounts of and procedure for remuneration of authorised field inspectors and
authorised seed sample collectors shall be established by the Minister of Agriculture.
Chapter 5
Packaging
§ 94. Packaging of seed and propagating or cultivating material
(1) For the purposes of this Act, the packaging of seed, including the seed of forest
trees and seed potatoes shall mean the packaging of such seed in sales packages and the
closing and marking of the sales packages.
(2) For the purposes of this Act, packaging of propagating and cultivating material of
horticultural plants shall mean the marking of propagating material prepared for sale and
planting material intended for the planting of forest trees.
§ 95. Packager of seed
For the purposes of this Act, packager of seed shall mean a person engaged in the
packaging of seed who has been issued a licence for packaging seed.
§ 96. Requirements for packagers of seed and packaging of seed
(1) In order to engage in the packaging of seed, a person shall have an enterprise or a
part of an enterprise conforming to the requirements (hereinafter packaging premises).
(2) The requirements for packaging the seed of agricultural plants and vegetables
shall be established by the Minister of Agriculture.
(3) The requirements for packaging premises shall be established by the Minister of
the Environment.
§ 97. Licence for packaging seed and procedure for issue thereof
(1) A person wishing to engage in the packaging of seed shall submit an application
for a licence for packaging the seed of agricultural plants, vegetables and horticultural
plants to the Plant Production Inspectorate or an application for a licence for the
packaging of the seed of forest trees to the Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture.
A person must obtain an activity licence before commencing the packaging of the seed
of forest trees.
(2) The formal and substantive requirements for an application for a licence for
packaging the seed of agricultural plants, vegetables and horticultural plants shall be
established by the Minister of Agriculture.
(3) The substantive requirements for an application for a licence for packaging the
seed of forest trees shall be established by the Minister of the Environment.
(4) The supervisory authority shall decide on the issue of a licence for packaging seed
based on the plant species whose seed the parson wishes to package.
(5) The supervisory authority shall make a decision to issue or a decision to refuse to
issue a licence for packaging seed within fifteen working days after the date of receipt of
the corresponding application.
(6) The supervisory authority shall refuse to issue a licence for packaging seed if:
1) the applicant has knowingly submitted false information;
2) the applicant has unlawfully influenced a supervisory official.
(7) A licence for packaging seed is issued for a term of three years. The supervisory
authority may extend the term of a licence for packaging seed based on a written
application by the holder of the licence for a period of up to three years as of the day after
the date of expiry of the licence if the holder of the licence and the enterprise thereof
continue to conform to the requirements of this Act.
(8) For extension of a licence for packaging seed, the holder of the licence shall
submit a corresponding application to supervisory authority at least thirty days prior to
the expiry of the term of validity of the licence. An application for extension of a licence
shall be processed pursuant to the same procedure and within the same term as an
application for a licence for packaging seed.
(9) If the holder of a licence for packaging seed wishes to package the seed of a plant
species other than that for the packaging of which the licence was issued, the person must
apply for amendment of the licence for the packaging of seed.
(10) The substantive requirements for a licence for packaging the seed of agricultural
plants, vegetables and horticultural plants shall be established by the Minister of
Agriculture.
(11) The substantive requirements for a licence for packaging the seed of forest trees
shall be established by the Minister of the Environment.
§ 98. Suspension of licence for packaging seed
(1) A licence for the packaging of seed shall be suspended in part or in full until:
1) the circumstances of the violation of this Act are clarified;
2) the precept is complied with, if the conformity of the seed packaged by the
enterprise cannot be ensured due to the circumstances temporarily prevailing in the
enterprise.
(2) The supervisory authority shall make a decision to suspend a licence for the
packaging of seed in part or in full within ten working days after the circumstances
specified in subsection (1) of this section become evident.
(3) After becoming aware of the suspension of a licence for the packaging of seed, the
packager is required to suspend the packaging of seed to the extent determined by the
decision.
(4) The packager shall inform the supervisory authority of the elimination of the
circumstances which constituted the basis for the suspension of the licence for the
packaging of seed. The supervisory authority shall verify the correctness of the submitted
information.
(5) If the circumstances which were the basis for the suspension of a licence for the
packaging of seed have been eliminated, the supervisory authority shall restore the
validity of the licence for the packaging of seed.
§ 99. Revocation of licence for packaging seed
(1) A licence for the packaging of seed shall be revoked in part or in full, if the
packager
1) has submitted a corresponding application;
2) has knowingly submitted incorrect information to the supervisory authority or has
unlawfully influenced a supervisory official;
3) has repeatedly failed to eliminate, by the date specified in the precept, any
deficiencies discovered in the course of inspection;
4) is unable to meet the requirements arising from this Act due to permanent
conditions prevailing in the packaging premises;
5) has terminated its activities.
(2) The supervisory authority shall make a decision to revoke a licence for the
packaging of seed within ten working days after the circumstances specified in subsection
(1) of this section become evident.
(3) After becoming aware of the decision to revoke a licence for the packaging of
seed, the packager is required to terminate the packaging of seed to the extent determined
by the decision.
§ 100. Requirements for closing sales packages
(1) Certified seed and seed potatoes shall be packaged and the sales packaging shall
be closed and marked under the supervision of the supervisory authority.
(2) The packager or supplier shall ensure that a packaged seed lot or a lot of
cultivating material conforms to the data set forth in the documents certifying its quality
and that the content of a sales package conforms to the data set forth in its label or the
plant passport.
§ 101. Marking requirements
(1) Sales packages of certified seed or seed potatoes and propagating or cultivating
material lots shall be accompanied by a document in proof of their certification issued by
the supervisory authority which, for plant species concerning which a plant passport is
issued, must also set out the requisite data contained in the plant passport.
(2) For the seed of agricultural plant and vegetable species, the producer or supplier
may print, under the supervision of the supervisory authority, the requisite information on
the label or sales package pursuant to the procedure prescribed therefor.
(3) The sales packaging of other seed shall be accompanied, pursuant to the
established requirements, by a conforming label issued by the supervisory authority or a
document issued by the producer. Other propagating or cultivating material lots shall be
accompanied by a product description or a document issued by the supplier which, for
plant species concerning which a plant passport is issued, must also set out the requisite
data contained in the plant passport
(4) The requirements for the packaging of seed and seed potatoes and the closing of
sales packages, and for the labelling of sales packaging of seed or seed potatoes and seed
lots of agricultural plant seed, the procedure for the issue of documents in proof of
certification or inspection thereof, and the substantive and formal requirements for labels
by plant species or groups of plant species shall be established by the Minister of
Agriculture.
(5) For cultivating material, the requirements for the packaging, the closing and
marking of sales packages and the substantive requirements for the documents in proof of
certification or inspection, and for labels shall be established by the Minister of the
Environment.
§ 102. Storage of data and keeping record
(1) The supervisory authority shall store the data related to issued licences for the
packaging of seed and the documents based on which the licences were issued. The
supervisory authority shall preserve all applications for a licence for the packaging of
seed and the decisions made concerning such applications for a period of five years after
the date of receipt of an application.
(2) Persons engaged in the packaging of seed, seed potatoes or cultivating material
shall keep detailed records of their activities. Documents related to the packaging of seed
potatoes shall be preserved for a period of at least five years. Documents related to the
packaging of propagating and cultivating material shall be preserved for a period of three
years.
Chapter 6
Marketing
§ 103. Marketing of seed and propagating or cultivating material
(1) For the purposes of this Act, marketing is the offer for sale, possession for the
purposes of sale, and transfer in any other manner, without charge or for a charge, of seed
and propagating or cultivating material.
(2) Transferring the seed of cereals, fodder crops, oil crops, fibre crops, vegetables,
beets and seed potatoes for the purposes of conducting trials, including for scientific or
research work or for production is not deemed to be marketing unless by such transfer,
the right of ownership concerning such seed or the fruit thereof is also transferred.
§ 104. Requirements for marketed seed and propagating and cultivating material
(1) Seed and propagating material included in the Variety List must be certified in
order to be marketed. Cultivating material shall be certified and meet the quality
requirements in order to be marketed.
(2) Seed and propagating material of plant species included in the list of plant species
subject to certification which is marketed as seed or propagating material of a controlled
category shall meet the quality requirements established, on the basis of subsection 3 (3)
or 4 (3) of this Act, for the seed or propagating material of such category.
(3) Other seed and propagating or cultivating material must meet the quality
requirements established based on subsections 76 (4) and (5) of this Act in order to be
marketed.
(4) The requirements for the marketing of seed and propagating material shall be
established by the Minister of Agriculture.
(5) The quality requirements for cultivating material to be marketed shall be
established by the Minister of the Environment.
§ 105. Documents in proof of certification and quality of seed and propagating or
cultivating material to be marketed
(1) A lot of the seed and propagating material specified in subsection 104 (1) of this
Act shall be accompanied with a document in proof of certification.
(2) A lot of the seed and propagating material specified in subsection 104 (2) of this
Act shall be accompanied with a document in proof of its origin and species and where
required, also its variety and quality.
(3) A lot of the seed and propagating or cultivating material specified in subsection
104 (3) of this Act shall be accompanied with a document in proof of its origin and
species which, if required, also certifies its variety and quality.
(4) A lot compiled of seed which is not yet finally certified shall be accompanied with
a document in proof of field inspection. For the purposes of this Act, seed not yet finally
certified shall mean a seed of a plant species subject to certification which has undergone
field inspection.
(5) The requirements for the label and accompanying documents for seed which is not
yet finally certified shall be established by the Minister of Agriculture.
(6) In order to make seed rapidly available, the primary supplier of seed may place on
the market seed in respect to which a certification procedure has already been
commenced but before a document attesting certification has been issued concerning the
seed, provided that an analytical report attesting the quality of the seed but not containing
any information concerning the germination rate of the seed has been issued with regard
to the seed. Such seed lot shall bear a separate label of the supplier containing the name,
address and lot number. The supplier shall guarantee at least minimum germination rate
for the marketed seed. After the certification of the seed is finished and a document in
proof of certification is issued, the document in proof of certification shall be sent to the
buyer of the seed.
(7) A lot of cultivating material to be placed on the market in another Member State
shall be accompanied with the information meeting the requirements of Commission
Regulation 1598/2002/EC laying down detailed rules for the application of Council
Directive 1999/105/EC as regards the provision of mutual administrative assistance by
official bodies (OJ L 240, 07.09.2002, pp. 39–42). A supplier who places cultivating
material on the market in another Member State shall forward the necessary information
to the Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture who shall send a relevant notice to the
responsible authority.
(8) The content and procedure for forwarding notices concerning cultivating material
to be placed on the market in another Member State sent to the relevant authority of the
country of destination shall be established by the Minister of the Environment.
§ 106. Marketing restrictions
(1) If, based on the results of trials for the agricultural value of cultivation and use of
the variety, the cultivation value of a variety entered in the Common catalogue of
varieties of agricultural plant and vegetable species is not sufficient compared to the
cultivation value of other varieties entered in the Variety List, or if the plant health
characteristics of a variety entered in the Common catalogue of varieties of agricultural
plant and vegetable species are likely to endanger the plant health or environment of
other varieties, the Minister of Agriculture may prohibit the placing on the market of the
variety in Estonia and give the European Commission notice thereof.
(2) The Ministry of Agriculture shall request a restriction on marketing specified in
subsection (1) of this section from the European Commission before the end of the third
calendar year after the calendar year during which the variety concerning which the
restriction on marketing is applied for was approved for entry in the Common catalogue
of varieties of agricultural plant and vegetable species.
(3) If the production of a variety included in the Common catalogue of varieties of
agricultural plant and vegetable species is likely to cause a direct danger to plant health,
human health or the environment, the Plant Production Inspectorate may establish the
prohibition specified in subsection (1) of this section immediately after receiving the
application. The Ministry of Agriculture shall inform the European Commission thereof.
(4) If due to its fenotypic or genetic characteristics, cultivating material to be placed
on the market has a harmful effect on forestry, the environment, genetic resources or
biological diversity, the Ministry of the Environment may apply for a permission from
the European Commission to prohibit the marketing of the cultivating material within the
territory of the European Union or a part thereof.
§ 107. Keeping of records
Persons engaged in the marketing of propagating or cultivating material shall keep
detailed records of their activities. Documents relating to the marketing of seed or
propagating or cultivating material shall be preserved for at least three years.
Chapter 7
Import and Export
§ 108. Import of Seed and Propagating or Cultivating Material
For the purposes of this Act, import of seed and propagating or cultivating material shall
mean the conveyance, under the customs procedure "release for free circulation", of seed
and propagating or cultivating material to Estonia from a state or territory outside the
customs territory of the European Union, or from a state or territory which is not a
Member State of the European Economic Community (hereinafter third country).
§ 109. Third countries from which import of seed and propagating or cultivating material
is permitted
(1) In the case of seed of plant species included in the list of plant species subject to
certification, only the seed of the plant species specified in Council Decision 2003/17/EC
on the equivalence of field inspections carried out in third countries on seed producing
crops and on the equivalence of seed produced in third countries (OJ L 8, 14.01.2003, pp.
10–17) may be imported from the third countries specified in the same Decision.
(2) In the case of seed not yet finally certified, only the seed mentioned in Council
Decision 2003/17/EC may be imported from the third countries specified in the same
Decision on the condition that the seed lot is accompanied by a document in proof of
field inspection.
(3) Propagating material of fruit and berry species may be imported only from the
third counties determined by the European Commission where the produced propagating
material and the requirements for the production of propagating material conform to the
requirements established in the European Union.
(4) Propagating material of fruit and berry species may be imported only from third
counties determined by the European Commission where the produced propagating
material and the requirements for the production of propagating material conform to the
requirements established in the European Union.
(5) Cultivating material may be imported only from the third counties determined by
the European Commission where the produced cultivating material and the requirements
for the production of cultivating material conform to the requirements established in the
European Union.
§ 110. Requirements for persons engaged in import of seed and propagating or cultivating
material
(1) Prior to the import of cultivating material, the importer shall apply, in the case of a
plant species subject to certification, for permission from the Centre of Forest Protection
and Silviculture for the import of a lot of cultivating material of such plant species.
(2) Prior to the import of seed of a plant species subject to certification, the importer
shall notify the Plant Production Inspectorate of the seed lot to be imported.
(3) Importers of seed or propagating or cultivating material shall keep detailed
records of their activities and preserve documents concerning imports for at least three
years.
§ 111. Requirements for imported seed and propagating and cultivating material
(1) A lot of seed or propagating material of a plant species subject to certification to
be imported shall conform to the quality requirements established on the basis of this Act
and shall be accompanied by a document in proof of certification or checking.
(2) The requirements for the import of cultivating material shall be established by the
Minister of the Environment.
§ 112. Import for plant breeding, scientific research, production trials or official trials
(1) The import of a lot of seed and propagating material for the purpose of plant
breeding, scientific research, production trials or official trials is permitted only based on
a written permit issued by the Plant Production Inspectorate. The import of a lot of
cultivating material for the purpose of breeding of tree crops, scientific research or
official trials is permitted only based on a written permit issued by the Centre of Forest
Protection and Silviculture.
(2) The supervisory authority shall make a decision to grant or to refuse to grant
permission to import a lot of seed or propagating material for the purposes of plant
breeding, scientific research, production trials or official trials within fifteen working
days after the date of receipt of the corresponding application and all the documents
needed for making the decision.
(3) The Minister of Agriculture shall establish the requirements for the content of an
application for permission to import a lot of seed or propagating material for the purposes
of plant breeding, scientific research, production trials or official trials, and the procedure
for application and processing of applications.
§ 113. Export of seed not yet finally certified
In the case of export of seed not yet finally certified, the seed lot marked in a manner
conforming to the requirements shall be accompanied by a document in proof of field
inspection issued by the Plant Production Inspectorate.
Chapter 8
State Supervision
§ 114. Supervisory authorities
(1) State supervision (hereinafter supervision) over compliance with this Act and
legislation established on the basis thereof shall be exercised by:
1) the Plant Production Inspectorate, for seed and propagating material;
2) the Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture, for cultivating material;
3) the Tax and Customs Board, in the case of Import of seed and propagating or
cultivating material pursuant to the provisions of Council Regulation 2913/92/EEC
establishing the Community Customs Code (OJ L 302, 19.10.1992, pp. 1–50).
(2) In performing their duties, state supervisory officials of the supervisory authorities
specified in subsection (1) of this section (hereinafter supervisory officials) shall
cooperate, within the limits of their competence, with other authorities of executive
power.
§ 115. Rights of supervisory officials
(1) Supervisory officials have the right to check seed and propagating or cultivating
material, the premises for production, packaging, storage and marketing thereof and other
handling premises, and open packages as necessary.
(2) Supervisory officials have the right to require information, copies or extracts of
relevant documents and with the knowledge of the producer, to record the situation at the
time of the inspection and use technical means for such purpose.
(3) A supervisory official has the right to verify, in the presence of the person whose
activities are under supervisory control, adherence to the requirements of this Act and
legislation established on the basis thereof in the territory and premises of an enterprise
without hindrance, and to take samples of seed and propagating and cultivating material
without charge.
§ 116. Organisation of supervision
(1) As a general rule, supervisory operations shall be conducted without giving prior
notice. Before conducting a supervisory operation, the supervisory official shall present
his or her identification and explain the purpose and manner of inspection.
(2) During performance of supervisory operations, supervisory officials of the Plant
Production Inspectorate shall wear uniforms.
(3) Supervisory officials shall explain that the person whose activity is subject to
supervisory control has the right to be present during the supervisory operation, obtain
additional explanations, contest the operations of supervisory officials and make
statements concerning the supervision shall be recorded.
(4) Supervisory officials are required to maintain business secrets which have become
known to them during supervision. A business secret may be disclosed if maintaining it
could present dangers to human health, plant health or to the environment. Personal data
may be disclosed pursuant to the Personal Data Protection Act.
(5) The State Liability Act applies to the compensation of damage unlawfully caused
to persons in the course of supervision operations conducted on the basis of this Act.
§ 117. Supervision over maintenance of varieties, field inspectors and seed sample
collectors
(1) The Plant Production Inspectorate exercises supervision over the maintenance of
varieties. Supervision over the maintenance of a variety of an agricultural plant or
vegetable species entered in the Variety List shall consist of the verification of the
varietal identity of the variety and the identity of the components of the variety based on
the information and documents concerning the maintenance of the variety provided by
the maintainer of the variety, as well as of laboratory tests performed with the seed or
propagating material of the variety, and of post-control trials and other field trials.
(2) The provisions regulating the supervision over the maintenance of varieties of
agricultural plants or vegetable species entered in the Variety List apply to supervision
over the maintenance of protected varieties. Supervision over the maintenance of a
protected variety, except for varieties of agricultural plants or vegetable species, shall
consist of the verification of the information and documents pertaining to the
maintenance of the variety provided by the holder of the plant variety right, and of
comparing the characteristics of the plants grown from the seed or propagating material
provided by the holder of the plant variety right with the characteristics set forth in the
variety description.
(3) If it is established on the basis of the outcome of supervision that the
characteristics of plants grown from the seed or propagating material submitted by the
maintainer of a variety do not meet the minimum requirements and do not compare to the
characteristics described in the variety description or to the characteristics of plants
grown from the official sample of the variety, the variety is deemed to not have been
maintained.
(4) Supervision over the activity of field inspectors and seed sample collectors is
exercised by the Plant Production Inspectorate. For supervision over the activity of a seed
sample collector, control samples of at least 5 per cent shall be taken from the seed
samples collected for certification purposes, except from the seed samples collected
automatically.
(5) The Minister of Agriculture shall establish the requirements for the frequency and
extent of post-control trials.
§ 118. Taking and analysis of samples in course of supervision
(1) A supervisory official has the right to take control samples from seed and
propagating or cultivating material during inspection at the expense of the producer or
supplier in order to check compliance with the requirements of this Act and legislation
established on the basis thereof.
(2) The person applying for certification shall cover the costs for analysing
propagating material in the course of certification in order to determine viral diseases,
except for the costs of analysing seed potatoes in order to determine viral diseases.
(3) If in the course of supervision, a supervisory official has justified reason to
believe that a marketed seed lot or lot of propagating or cultivating material does not
meet the quality requirements established for seed and propagating or cultivating
material, he or she shall issue a precept for suspension of the marketing of the seed lot or
lot of propagating or cultivating material. The marketing of the seed lot or lot of
propagating or cultivating material shall be suspended until the results of the analysis of
the sample taken from such lot are obtained.
(4) If it is established as a result of analysing a sample obtained in the course of
supervision that the seed lot or lot of propagating or cultivating material does not meet
the quality requirements established for marketed seed or propagating or cultivating
material, a decision to prohibit the marketing of the lot shall be made within five working
days after obtaining the results of the analysis of the sample.
(5) The results of an analysis shall be issued as a test report which, in addition to the
results of the analysis, shall also contain other information related to the analysis.
(6) A person who does not accept the results of a seed analysis has the right to choose
another accredited laboratory for a second analysis if the person bears the costs of
analysing the repeat samples.
(7) A person who wishes the supervisory authority to take account of the results of
the analysis of the repeat sample specified in subsection (6) of this section shall submit an
application for collecting a repeat sample to the supervisory authority.
(8) The Minister of Agriculture shall establish the methodology for collecting
samples from seed and seed potatoes.
§ 119. Collecting samples for participation in Community comparative trials
(1) In order to check the conformity of seed and propagating or cultivating material to
the requirements of the legislation of the European Union, Community comparative trials
are organised.
(2) For participation in Community comparative trials, a supervisory official shall
collect a necessary amount of samples from seed and propagating or cultivating material
at the expense of the person.
§ 120. Notification for post-control trials
In order to enable post-control trials to be organised, the supervisory authority shall be
notified of seed lots brought into Estonia for propagation purposes from the European
Union or a state declared to be equivalent thereto.
§ 121. Precepts
(1) In the event that an offence is detected, an inspection official shall issue a precept
in which he or she:
1) calls attention to the offence;
2) demand that the offence be terminated;
3) require the performance of acts to terminate the offence, prevention of further
offences and elimination of the results of the offence;
4) set a term for compliance with the precept.
(2) The supervisory official shall communicate the precept to the person or the
representative thereof against a signature either on site or by sending the precept to the
person by registered mail with advice of delivery within five working days as of the
discovery of the offence or receipt of the test report. If the person or the representative
thereof refuses to receive the precept on site, a corresponding notation shall be made on
the precept and the precept shall be sent to the person by registered letter with advice of
delivery within five working days as of the refusal to receive the precept.
(3) A person who fails to comply with the precept by the specified due date with good
reason has the right to apply for extension of the term for compliance with the precept.
An application for extension of a specified term shall be submitted in writing before
expiry of the term specified in the precept.
(4) The supervisory authority makes decisions to satisfy or deny applications
submitted on the basis on subsection (3) of this section. If an application is satisfied, a
new term for compliance with the precept shall be set which shall be at least as long as
the previous term.
(5) In order to ensure compliance with a precept, the supervisory authority may
impose a penalty payment pursuant to the procedure provided for in the Substitutive
Enforcement and Penalty Payment Act. The upper limit for a penalty payment is 10 000
kroons.
§ 122. Contestation of precept, decision or act of supervisory official
(1) If a person does not agree with a precept, decision or act of a supervisory official,
the person may file a challenge with the head of the supervisory authority or contest the
precept, decision or act in court under the conditions and pursuant to the procedure
provided in the Code of Administrative Court Procedure.
(2) Contestation does not release the person from compliance with requirements set
out in the precept.
§ 123. Notification
The Plant Production Inspectorate is required to notify the supervisory authorities of
other countries, the European Commission and the CPVO of matters pertaining to seed
and plant propagating material and the Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture is
required to notify such authorities of issues pertaining to cultivating material in adherence
to the legislation of the European Union.
Chapter 9
Liability
§ 124. Marketing of seed and propagating or cultivating material not conforming to
quality requirements
(1) Marketing of seed and propagating or cultivating material which does not meet
the quality requirements is punishable by a fine of up to 200 fine units.
(2) The same act, if committed by a legal person, is punishable by a fine of up to 30
000 kroons.
§ 125. Violation of requirements for packaging of seed and propagating or cultivating
material or requirements for labelling of sales packages
(1) Violation of the requirements for the packaging of seed and propagating or
cultivating material, or the requirements for the labelling of sales packages is punishable
by a fine of up to 100 fine units.
(2) The same act, if committed by a legal person, is punishable by a fine of up to 20
000 kroons.
§ 126. Failure to comply with notification obligation
(1) Failure to comply with notification obligation is punishable by a fine of up to 200
fine units.
(2) The same act, if committed by a legal person, is punishable by a fine of up to 30
000 kroons.
§ 127. Failure to comply with production requirements and to perform own check
obligation
(1) Failure to comply with production requirements and to perform own check
obligation is punishable by a fine of up to 200 fine units.
(2) The same act, if committed by a legal person, is punishable by a fine of up to 30
000 kroons.
§ 128. Failure to perform obligations of field inspector
Failure to perform or defective performance of the obligations of field inspector is
punishable by a fine of up to 100 fine units.
§ 129. Failure to perform obligations of seed sample collector
Failure to perform or defective performance of the obligations of seed sample collector is
punishable by a fine of up to 100 fine units.
§ 130. Proceedings
(1) The provisions of the General Part of the Penal Code and the Code of
Misdemeanour Procedure apply to misdemeanours provided for in §§ 124-129 of this
Act.
(2) Extra-judicial proceedings concerning the misdemeanours provided for in §§ 124-
129 of this Act shall be conducted by:
1) the Plant Production Inspectorate;
2) the Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture;
3) the Consumer Protection Board.
Chapter 10
Implementing Provisions
§ 131. State Plant Varieties Register and Variety List
(1) The register of protected varieties established based on subsection 8 (1) of the
Plant Variety Rights Act is deemed to be the state Plant Varieties Register specified in
subsection 57 (1) of this Act.
(2) The Plant Production Inspectorate shall enter, under the same conditions and for
the same term without a separate application and a without a state fee, the varieties
included in the Variety List compiled on the basis of the Seed and Plant Propagating
Material Act in the Variety List compiled on the basis of this Act as of the date of entry
into force of this Act.
§ 132. Processing of applications submitted based on Plant Variety Rights Act and
validity of plant variety rights
(1) The processing of applications for plant variety rights submitted based on the
Plant Variety Rights Act the processing of which, including the conduct of registration
trials, is not yet completed by the time of entry into force of this Act shall be continued in
adherence to the requirements provided by this Act without applying the requirement of
novelty.
(2) The plant variety right of a variety placed under protection based on the Plant
Variety Rights Act and a plant variety right certificate shall be valid during the period
that the variety is protected until the expiry of the term specified in the decision of
placing the variety under protection.
(3) The Republic of Estonia is the holder of plant variety rights to varieties which
were bred using state funds and granted protection before 1 July 1998.
§ 133. Validity of licences issued
(1) A licence for the production or packaging of seed or plant propagating material
issued on the basis of the Seed and Plant Propagating Material Act, an authorisation
registered by the Plant Production Inspectorate issued by the holder of a plant variety
right or a representative thereof to the producer or packager of the seed or propagating or
cultivating material of a protected variety or an import permit for the import of
cultivating material issued by the Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture shall
remain valid until the date of expiry set out therein.
(2) An activity licence for the production or packaging of cultivating material issued
based on the Seed and Plant Propagating Material Act for an unspecified term shall be
valid for a period of five years after the entry into force of this Act. The term of validity
of such activity licence may be extended pursuant to the procedure established by § 66 of
this Act.
§ 134. Third countries from which import of propagating material of fruit and berry
species is permitted
(1) Based on the Decision of the European Commission specified in Article 16.2 of
Council Directive 92/34/EEC on the marketing of fruit plant propagating material and
fruit plants intended for fruit production (OJ L 157, 10.06.1992, pp. 10–18) and taking
account of the requirements of the same Directive regarding the propagating material of
fruit and berry species, production thereof, the duties of suppliers, the identity and
characteristics of the propagating material, plant health, growing environment,
packaging, supervision and marking and closing of sales packages, the Plant Production
Inspectorate shall determine, until 31 December 2007, the third states specified in
subsection 109 (3) of this Act where the produced propagating material of fruit and berry
species and the requirements for the production thereof conform to the requirements
established in the European Union.
(2) The Plant Production Inspectorate shall compile a list of third countries from
which the import of the propagating material of certain fruit and berry species is
permitted, and shall publish such list on its website.
(3) The Plant Production Inspectorate shall immediately notify the European
Commission and other Member States of the decisions made based on the decision
specified in subsection (1) of this section.
§ 135. Third countries from which import of propagating material of vegetable species is
permitted
(1) Based on the Decision of the European Commission specified in Article 16.2 of
Council Directive 92/33/EEC on the marketing of vegetable propagating and planting
material, other than seed (OJ L 157, 10.06.1992, pp. 1-9) and taking account of the
requirements of the same Directive regarding vegetable propagating material, production
thereof, the duties of suppliers, the varietal identity and characteristics of the propagating
material, plant health, substratum, packaging, procedure for checks and marking and
closing of packages, the Plant Production Inspectorate shall determine, until 31
December 2007, the third states specified in subsection 109 (4) of this Act where the
produced vegetable propagating material and the requirements for the production thereof
conform to the requirements established in the European Union.
(2) The Plant Production Inspectorate shall compile a list of third countries from
which the import of the propagating material of certain vegetable species is permitted,
and shall publish such list on its website.
(3) The Plant Production Inspectorate shall immediately notify the European
Commission and other Member States of the decisions made based on the decision
specified in subsection (1) of this section.
§ 136. Third countries from which import of cultivating material is permitted
(1) The Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture shall compile a list of third
countries from which the import of the cultivating material of certain plant species is
permitted, and shall publish such list on its website.
(2) The Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture shall immediately notify the
Commission and other Member States of third countries from which the import of the
cultivating material of certain plant species is permitted.
§ 137. Amendment of Patents Act
Clause 47 (1) 5) of the Patents Act (RT I 1994, 25, 406; 2005, 18, 104) is amended and
worded as follows:
„5) the patent hinders the grant of plant variety rights pursuant to the Plant
Propagation and Plant Variety Rights Act or the use of a plant variety which is granted
protection."
§ 138. Amendments to State Fees Act
The State Fees Act (RT I 1997, 80, 1344; 2005, 64, 483) is amended as follows:
1) clause 3 (2) 14) is amended and worded as follows:
„14) Acts performed pursuant to the Plant Propagation and Plant Variety Rights Act;";
2) the title of Division 7 of Chapter 7 of the Act is amended and worded as follows:
«7. Division 7
Acts performed pursuant to the Plant Propagation and Plant Variety Rights Act";
3) section 93 is amended and worded as follows:
㤠93. Application for grant of plant variety right
A state fee of 1000 kroons shall be paid for the review of an application for a plant
variety right.";
4) the existing text of § 95 is considered subsection (1) and the section is amended
by adding subsection (2) worded as follows:
„(2) The state fee for keeping the plant variety right in force shall be paid not later
than two months before the beginning of the following year of the term of a plant variety
right.";
5) subsection 98 (1) is amended and worded as follows:
„(1) A state fee of 100 kroons shall be paid for the issue of a duplicate certificate of a
plant variety right.";
6) subsection 98 (3) is repealed;
7) sections 99 1 and 99
2 are amended and worded as follows:
㤠991. Issue of compulsory licence
A state fee of 1000 kroons shall be paid for the issue of a compulsory licence.
§ 99 2 . Registration of varieties and entry in Variety List of varieties
(1) A state fee of 150 kroons shall be paid for the review of an application for
registration of a variety.
(2) A state fee of 200 kroons shall be paid for the review of an application for entry of
a variety in the Variety List.”;
8) the Act is amended by adding §§ 99 3 and 99
4 worded as follows:
㤠99 3 . Maintaining variety in Variety List
(1) A state fee shall be paid in the following amount for each year of maintaining a
variety of cereals, spring swede rape or potatoes in the Variety List:
1) 200 kroons for the first to the fourth year;
2) 250 kroons for the fifth to the tenth year;
3) 300 kroons as of the eleventh year.
(2) A state fee shall be paid in the following amount for each year of maintaining a
variety of other plant species in the Variety List:
1) 150 kroons for the first to the fourth year;
2) 200 kroons for the fifth to the tenth year;
3) 250 kroons as of the eleventh year.
(3) The state fee for maintaining a variety in the Variety List shall be paid not later
than two months before the beginning of each year during which the variety is to be kept
on the list.
§ 99 4 . Certification and packaging of seed
(1) A state fee shall be paid in the following amount for the certification of seed:
1) 15 kroons per one hectare for the field inspection of a seed field of cereal and
leguminous vegetable species;
2) 18 kroons per one hectare for the field inspection of a seed field of oil crop, grass
plant and flax species;
3) 7 kroons per 100 square meters for the field inspection of an open seed field of
vegetable species;
4) 300 kroons per 100 square meters for the field inspection of an under glass seed
field of vegetable species.
(2) A state fee shall be paid in the following amount for the collection of seed
samples and laboratory testing:
1) 500 kroons for species of cereal, oil crop, leguminous plant or flowers;
2) 200 kroons for herbaceous grasses;
3) 100 kroons for the species of forest trees.
(3) A state fee of 75 kroons shall be paid for a repeat laboratory analysis of the
germination rate of certified seed.
(4) A state fee shall be paid in the following amount for labelling sales packages of
seeds:
1) 1.2 kroons per package for the seed of species of oil crops and grass plants;
2) 2 kroons per package for the seed of other crops;
3) 1 kroon per package for the seed of forest trees.
(5) A state fee of 500 kroons shall be paid for the issue of a permit for the packaging
of seed.
(6) A state fee of 250 kroons shall be paid for the issue of an activity licence for the
production of cultivating material.
(7) A state fee of 100 kroons shall be paid for the extension of a permit for the
packaging of seed.”;
9) subsection (6) is added to § 2161 worded as follows:
„(6) During the first four years after the date of entry in the Variety List, no state fee is
charged for the maintenance in the Variety List of a variety entered in the Variety List
from 1 January 2002 to 1 January 2006."
§ 139. Amendment of Forest Act
The Forest Act (RT I 1998, 113/114, 1872; 2004, 38, 258) is amended as follows:
1) in the entire text of the Act, the words “propagating material” are substituted by
the words “cultivating material” in the appropriate case form;
2) clause 10 (12) 1) is repealed.
§ 140. Amendment of Administrative Co-operation Act
Subsection 13 (11) of the Administrative Co-operation Act (RT I 2003, 20, 117; 2005, 54,
430) is amended by adding clauses 9), 10) and 11) in the following wording:
„9) the administrative contracts specified in subsections 82 (1) and 90 (1) of the Plant
Propagation and Plant Variety Rights Act;
10) the administrative contract specified in subsection 13 (4) of the Veterinary
Activities Organisation Act;
11) the contract specified in subsection 31 (1) of the European Union Common
Agricultural Policy Implementation Act."
§ 141. Repeal of Acts
The Plant Variety Rights Act (RT I 1998, 36/37, 553; 2002, 63, 387) and the Seed and
Plant Propagating Material Act (RT I 1998, 52/53, 771; 2004, 32, 226) are repealed.
§ 142. Implementing provision
The legislation issued on the basis of the Plant Variety Rights Act and the Seed and Plant
Propagating Material Act which was in force until the entry into force of this Act shall
remain in force after the entry into force of this Act until it is repealed or until the entry
into force of new legislation established on the basis of this Act, however, not for longer
than until 1 May 2006.
§ 143. Entry into force of Act
(1) This Act enters into force on 1 January 2006.
(2) Clause 65 (1) 3) of this Act enters into force on 1 July 2006.
1 Council Directive 66/401/EEC on the marketing of fodder plant seed (OJ P 125,
11.07.1966, pp. 2298–2308), amended by Directives 69/63/EEC (OJ L 48, 26.02.1969,
pp. 8–12), 71/162/EEC (OJ L 87, 17.04.1971, pp. 24–28), 72/274/EEC (OJ L 171,
29.07.1972, pp. 37–38), 72/418/EEC (OJ L 287, 26.12.1972, pp. 22–30), 73/438/EEC
(OJ L 356, 27.12.1973, pp. 79–82), 75/444/EEC (OJ L 196, 26.07.1975, pp. 6–13),
78/55/EEC (OJ L 16, 20.01.1978, pp. 23–29), 78/386/EEC (OJ L 113, 25.04.1978, pp. 1–
12), 78/692/EEC (OJ L 236, 26.08.1978, pp. 13–18), 78/1020/EEC (OJ L 350,
14.12.1978, p. 27), 79/641/EEC (OJ L 183, 19.07.1979, pp. 13–16), 79/692/EEC (OJ L
205, 13.08.1979, pp. 1–4), 80/754/EEC (OJ L 207, 09.08.1980, p. 36), 81/126/EEC (OJ L
67, 12.03.1981, pp. 36–37), 82/287/EEC (OJ L 131, 13.05.1982, pp. 24–26), 85/38/EEC
(OJ L 16, 19.01.1985, pp. 41–42), 86/155/EEC (OJ L 118, 07.05.1986, pp. 23–27),
87/120/EEC (OJ L 49, 18.02.1987, pp. 39–43), 87/480/EEC (OJ L 273, 26.09.1987, pp.
43–44), 88/332/EEC (OJ L 151, 17.06.1988, pp. 82–83), 88/380/EEC (OJ L 187,
16.07.1988, pp. 31–48), 89/100/EEC (OJ L 38, 10.02.1989, p 36), 90/654/EEC (OJ L
353, 17.12.1990, pp. 48–56), 92/19/EEC (OJ L 104, 22.04.1992, pp. 61–62), 96/18/EC
(OJ L 76, 26.03.1996, pp. 21–22), 96/72/EC (OJ L 304, 27.11.1996, pp. 10–11),
98/95/EC (OJ L 25, 01.02.1999, pp. 1–26), 98/96/EC (OJ L 25, 01.02.1999, pp. 27–33),
2001/64/EC (OJ L 234, 01.09.2001, pp. 60–61), 2003/61/EC (OJ L 165, 03.07.2003, pp.
23–28), 2004/55/EC (OJ L 114, 21.04.2004, p. 18), 2004/117/EC (OJ L 14, 18.01.2005,
pp. 18–33);
Council Directive 66/402/EEC on the marketing of cereal seed (OJ P 125, 11.07.1966,
pp. 2309–2319), amended by Directives 69/60/EEC (OJ L 48, 26.02.1969, pp. 1–3),
71/162/EEC (OJ L 87, 17.04.1971, pp. 24–28), 72/274/EEC (OJ L 171, 29.07.1972, pp.
37–38), 72/418/EEC (OJ L 287, 26.12.1972, pp. 22–30), 73/101/EEC (OJ L 2,
01.01.1973, pp. 1–27), 73/438/EEC (OJ L 356, 27.12.1973, pp. 79–82), 75/444/EEC (OJ
L 196, 26.07.1975, pp. 6–13), 78/55/EEC (OJ L 16, 20.01.1978, pp. 23–29), 78/387/EEC
(OJ L 113, 25.04.1978, pp. 13–19), 78/692/EEC (OJ L 236, 26.08.1978, pp. 13–18),
78/1020/EEC (OJ L 350, 14.12.1978, p. 27), 79/641/EEC (OJ L 183, 19.07.1979, pp. 13–
16), 79/692/EEC (OJ L 205, 13.08.1979, pp. 1–4), 81/126/EEC (OJ L 67, 12.03.1981, pp.
36–37), 85/3768/EEC (OJ L 362, 31.12.1985, pp. 8–16), 86/155/EEC (OJ L 118,
07.05.1986, pp. 23–27), 86/320/EEC (OJ L 200, 23.07.1986, p. 38), 87/120/EEC (OJ L
49, 18.02.1987, pp. 39–43), 88/332/EEC (OJ L 151, 17.06.1988, pp. 82–83), 88/380/EEC
(OJ L 187, 16.07.1988, pp. 31–48), 88/506/EEC (OJ L 274, 06.10.1988, p. 44), 89/2/EEC
(OJ L 5, 07.01.1989, p. 31), 90/623/EEC (OJ L 333, 30.11.1990, p. 65), 93/2/EEC (OJ L
54, 05.03.1993, p. 20), 95/6/EC (OJ L 67, 25.03.1995, pp. 30–32), 96/72/EC (OJ L 304,
27.11.1996, pp. 10–11), 98/95/EC (OJ L 25, 01.02.1999, pp. 1–26), 98/96/EC (OJ L 25,
01.02.1999, pp. 27–33), 99/08/EC (OJ 50, 26.02.1999, p. 26), 1999/54/EC (OJ L 142,
05.06.1999, pp. 30–31), 2001/64/EC (OJ L 234, 01.09.2001, pp. 60–61), 2003/61/EC (OJ
L 165, 03.07.2003, pp. 23–28), 2004/117/EC (OJ L 14, 18.01.2005, pp. 18–33);
Commission Directive 74/268/EEC laying down special conditions concerning the
presence of 'Avena fatua' in fodder plant and cereal seed (OJ L 141, 24.05.1974, pp. 19),
amended by Directive 78/511/EEC (OJ L 157, 15.06.1978, pp. 34);
Council Directive 92/33/EEC on the marketing of vegetable propagating and planting
material, other than seed (OJ L 157, 10.06.1992, pp. 1–9), amended by Directive
2003/61/EC (OJ L 165, 03.07.2003, pp. 23–28), Decisions 1999/29/EC (OJ L 008,
14.01.1999, pp. 29), 2002/111/EC (OJ L 41, 13.02.2002, pp. 43) and 2005/55/EC (OJ L
22, 26.01.2005, pp. 17) and Regulation 806/2003/EC (OJ L 122, 16.05.2003, pp. 1–35);
Council Directive 92/34/EEC on the marketing of fruit plant propagating material and
fruit plants intended for fruit production (OJ L 157, 10.06.1992, pp. 10–18), amended by
Directives 2003/61/EC (OJ L 165, 03.07.2003, pp. 23–28), 2003/111/EC (OJ L 311,
27.11.2003, pp. 12–13), Decision 2005/54/EC (OJ L 22, 26.01.2005, p. 16) and
Regulation 806/2003/EC (OJ L 122, 16.05.2003, pp. 1–35);
Commission Directive 93/48/EEC setting out the schedule indicating the conditions to be
met by fruit plant propagating material and fruit plants intended for fruit production,
pursuant to Council Directive 92/34/EEC (OJ L 250, 07.10.1993, pp. 1–8);
Commission Directive 93/49/EEC setting out the schedule indicating the conditions to be
met by ornamental plant propagating material and ornamental plants pursuant to Council
Directive 91/682/EEC (OJ L 250, 07.10.1993, pp. 9–18), amended by Directive
1999/67/EC (OJ L 164, 30.06.1999, p. 78);
Commission Directive 93/61/EEC setting out the schedules indicating the conditions to
be met by vegetable propagating and planting material, other than seed pursuant to
Council Directive 92/33/EEC (OJ L 250, 07.10.1993, pp. 19–28);
Commission Directive 93/62/EEC setting out the implementing measures concerning the
supervision and monitoring of suppliers and establishments pursuant to Council Directive
92/33/EEC on the marketing of vegetable propagating and planting material, other than
seed (OJ L 250, 07.10.1993, pp. 29–30);
Commission Directive 93/64/EEC setting out the implementing measures concerning the
supervision and monitoring of suppliers and establishments pursuant to Council Directive
92/34/EEC on the marketing of fruit plant propagating material and fruit plants intended
for fruit production (OJ L 250, 07.10.1993, pp. 33–34);
Commission Directive 93/79/EEC setting out additional implementing provisions for lists
of varieties of fruit plant propagating material and fruit plants, as kept by suppliers under
Council Directive 92/34/EEC (OJ L 256, 14.10.1993, pp. 25–31);
Council Directive 98/56/EC on the marketing of propagating material of ornamental
plants (OJ L 226, 13.08.1998, pp. 16–23), amended by Regulation 806/2003/EC (OJ L
122, 16.05.2003, pp. 1–35) and Directive 2003/61/EC (OJ L 165, 03.07.2003, pp. 23–28);
Commission Directive 1999/66/EC setting out requirements as to the label or other
document made out by the supplier pursuant to Council Directive 98/56/EC (OJ L 164,
30.06.1999, pp. 76–77);
Commission Directive 1999/68/EC setting out additional provisions for lists of varieties
of ornamental plants as kept by suppliers under Council Directive 98/56/EC (OJ L 172,
08.07.1999, pp. 42–43);
Council Directive 1999/105/EC on the marketing of forest reproductive material (OJ L
11, 15.01.2000, pp. 17–40);
Council Directive 2002/53/EC on the common catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant
species nõukogu direktiiv (OJ L 193, 20.07.2002, pp. 1–11), amended by Regulation
1829/2003/EC (OJ L 268, 18.10.2003, pp. 1–23);
Council Directive 2002/54/EC on the marketing of beet seed (OJ L 193, 20.07.2002, pp.
12–32), amended by Directives 2003/61/EC (OJ L 165, 03.07.2003, pp. 23–28),
2004/117/EC (OJ L 14, 18.01.2005, pp. 18–33);
Council Directive 2002/55/EC on the marketing of vegetable seed (OJ L 193, 20.07.2002,
pp. 33–59), amended by Directives 2003/61/EC (OJ L 165, 03.07.2003, pp. 23–28),
2004/117/EC (OJ L 14, 18.01.2005, pp. 18–33) and Regulation 1829/2003/EC (OJ L 268,
18.10.2003, pp. 1–23);
Council Directive 2002/56/EC on the marketing of seed potatoes (OJ L 193, 20.07.2002,
pp. 60–73), amended by Decision 2003/66/EC (OJ L 25, 30.01.2003, p. 42) and Directive
2003/61/EC (OJ L 165, 03.07.2003, pp. 23–28);
Council Directive 2002/57/EC on the marketing of seed of oil and fibre plants (OJ L 193,
20.07.2002, pp. 74–97) amended by Directives 2002/68/EC (OJ L 195, 24.07.2002, pp.
32–33), 2003/45/EC (OJ L 138, 05.06.2003, pp. 40–44), 2003/61/EC (OJ L 165,
03.07.2003, pp. 23–28) and 2004/117/EC (OJ L 14, 18.01.2005, pp. 18–33).