Commission Implementing Directive (EU) 2025/2449 modifies existing examination protocols for specific agricultural and vegetable species by updating the annexes of Directives 2003/90/EC and 2003/91/EC.
It mandates that Member States’ national catalogues must adhere to current Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) technical protocols or, for species not covered by CPVO, the guidelines of the International Union for Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV).
The directive includes updated protocols for several species:
- Swede: Updated CPVO protocol TP 89/1
- Fodder Kale: Updated CPVO protocol
- Rice: Updated CPVO protocol TP 16/4
- Kale Group, Palm Kale Group, Tronchuda Group (Portuguese cabbage), Chinese Cabbage: Updated CPVO protocol
- Tomato: Updated CPVO protocol TP 44/5
- Spinach: Updated CPVO protocol TP 55/5
The UPOV guideline for turnip rape is removed from Annex II of Directive 2003/90/EC and replaced with the CPVO protocol.
The updated annexes specify the exact CPVO protocols and UPOV guidelines to be followed during the examination of listed agricultural and vegetable species, ensuring compliance with current standards.
Review of each of legal acts published today:
Commission Implementing Directive (EU) 2025/2449 of 4 December 2025 amending Directives 2003/90/EC and 2003/91/EC as regards the protocols for the examination of varieties of swede, fodder kale, rice, kale group, palm kale group, tronchuda group (Portuguese cabbage), Chinese cabbage, tomato and spinach
This Commission Implementing Directive (EU) 2025/2449 updates the examination protocols for certain agricultural and vegetable species to align with the latest technical standards set by the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO). The directive amends previous directives to ensure that Member States’ national catalogues include varieties that comply with current CPVO protocols and, for species not covered by CPVO, with the guidelines of the International Union for Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV).
The directive amends Directives 2003/90/EC and 2003/91/EC by replacing their annexes with updated lists of species and their corresponding CPVO technical protocols or UPOV test guidelines. Specifically, it updates protocols for swede, fodder kale, rice, kale group, palm kale group, tronchuda group (Portuguese cabbage), Chinese cabbage, tomato, and spinach. Additionally, it removes the UPOV guideline for turnip rape from Annex II of Directive 2003/90/EC, replacing it with the CPVO protocol.
The most important provisions of this directive are the updated annexes, which specify the exact CPVO protocols and UPOV guidelines that must be followed when examining varieties of the listed agricultural and vegetable species. For example, Annex I of Directive 2003/90/EC now includes the updated CPVO protocol TP 89/1 for swede and TP 16/4 for rice. Similarly, Annex I of Directive 2003/91/EC includes the updated CPVO protocol TP 44/5 for tomato and TP 55/5 for spinach. These updates ensure that the examination of new varieties is conducted using the most current and accurate standards, facilitating the inclusion of these varieties in the Common Catalogue.
