. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/EEC/58 
4 March 2004 
 (04-0969) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English 
   
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   European Commission 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:    
European Commission, 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point, 
Fax:  0032 2 299 80 43, E-mail:  ec-tbt@cec.eu.int
 
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:         
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable):   Seeds of field beans and 
soya beans 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Draft Commission 
Decision providing for the temporary marketing of certain seed of the species Vicia faba 
and Glycine max not satisfying the requirements of Council Directives 66/401/EEC and 
2002/57/EC respectively, (5 pages, in English) 
6. Description of content:   The Decision authorises the Member States to permit the 
marketing of seed of field beans and soya bean s subject to less stringent requirements for a 
limited period 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:   In 
France the quantity of available seed of field bean (Vicia faba)  and of soya bean ( Glycine 
max)  suitable to the national climatic conditio ns and which satisfies the germination 
capacity requirements of Directives 66/401/EEC or 2002/57/EC respectively is insufficient and is therefore not adequate to meet the needs of that Member State. It is not possible to 
meet the demand for seed of these species satisfactorily with seed from other Member 
States or from third countries which satisfies all the requirements laid down in Directives 
66/401/EEC or 2002/57/EC respectively. Theref ore the Member States should be permitted 
to allow placing on the market of seed of field beans and soya beans subject to less stringent requirements for a limited period. The urgency of the measure is due to the short time period between seed certification exercise, when the shortage was identified, and the sowing 
season. G/TBT/N/EEC/58 
Page 2  
 
8. Relevant documents:   doc. SANCO/0360/04rev1      
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   }15 March 2004 
10. Final date for comments:   10 days from the date of notification 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:        
European Commission, 
EC-TBT Enquiry Point, Fax:  0032 2 299 80 43, E-mail:  ec-tbt@cec.eu.int
 
 