THE COUNCIL,

Having regard to Article 5a) and c) of the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development of 14 December 1960;

Having regard to the Decision of the Council of 5 March 1974 Establishing an OECD Scheme for the Control of Forest Reproductive Material Moving in International Trade [C(74)29(Final)] as amended on 19 March 1991 [C(91)21/FINAL], 20 December 2001 [C(2001)268 and C/M(2001)26] and 7 February 2007 [C(2007)3 and C/M(2007)3];

On the proposal of the Committee for Agriculture:

I. DECIDES:

1. The OECD Scheme for the Certification of Forest Reproductive Material Moving in International Trade (hereinafter abbreviated to the "OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme" or "the Scheme") shall be operated in accordance with the provisions of this Decision and on the basis of the Rules and Directions set out in Annex thereto.

2. The States which, at the adoption of the present Decision, participate in the Scheme established by the Decision of the Council of 5 March 1974 establishing an OECD Scheme for the Control of Forest Reproductive Material Moving in International Trade [C(74)29(Final)] as amended (hereafter called "former Scheme") will participate in the OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme.

3. The Scheme shall be:

a) open to all Members of the OECD as well as to any Member of the United Nations, its Specialized Agencies or the World Trade Organisation desiring to participate therein in accordance with the procedure for participation set out in Appendix X of Annex to this Decision;

b) implemented by the Authorities designated for that purpose by, and responsible to, the Governments of the States adhering to the Scheme (hereinafter called the "participating States" or "participating State", as the case may be).

4. Any time the words "country" or "State" are used in the Decision and its Annex, it shall read as "country and economy" or "State and economy".

5. A State desiring to adhere to the OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme shall notify the Secretary-General, who shall inform the other participating States accordingly.

6. The participation of a State in the Scheme obliges it (as concerns each lot of forest reproductive material labelled in the country according to the Scheme) to take the necessary measures to apply the Rules and Directions in Annex of the present Decision and to ensure their application by the Designated Authority.

7. The Scheme specifies minimum requirements which may be exceeded by a country based on individual circumstances. In the case of more stringent national requirements for the same category, it is recommended that OECD certified reproductive material shall meet the same requirements.

8. A participating State desiring to lodge a complaint concerning non-execution of the aforementioned obligations may bring the matter before the Organisation. The complaint shall be examined by the Committee for Agriculture which shall report to the Council.

9. The participating States may apply the Scheme to forest tree species, types of basic material and categories of their choice within the framework of the Scheme. A list of these species, types of basic material and categories must be made available to the Secretariat of the OECD.

10. Annual contribution

10.1 Expenditures required for the functioning of the Scheme shall be defrayed from appropriations under Part II of the Budget of the Organisation. Each country participating in the Scheme agrees to the payment to the OECD of an annual contribution which is the sum of the following two elements:

· A basic fee of 762.25 € (Euros);

· An additional fee applied to each participating country (OECD Members and non-members) calculated according to the criteria set out in the Resolution of the Council [C(63)155(Final)] as amended.

10.2 The contribution is adjusted annually according to the level of expenditures required for the functioning of the Scheme and according to the change in price index and scales used in the Organisation's budget procedures. The annual contribution of a new participating country shall remain a net addition to the budget of the Scheme. The Secretariat shall report any default in payment to the National Designated Authorities which shall take all appropriate measures, including reviewing the status of the participating country.

10.3 A participating country shall fall into arrears on 1 January of the year following the year of the call for the payment of the annual contribution (basic fee and additional fee) if the fees remain unpaid at that date. In this first year of arrears no documentation shall be sent to the country. In the second year of arrears, the basic material existing in the country (forest stands and others) shall no longer be eligible for producing OECD certified reproductive material and the corresponding information will be removed from the OECD database. In the third year of arrears, the country shall be duly notified of a proposal to exclude it from participation in the Scheme. The decision of exclusion shall be adopted by the Council, on the proposal of the Annual Meeting of the National Designated Authorities and of the Committee for Agriculture, unless the Council decides by consensus not to adopt the decision. The decision of exclusion shall be notified to the country.

10.4 Settlement by the country in arrears of the debt in the first or the second year shall reverse all the measures previously taken. Settlement of the debt in the third year and reversal of all the measures previously taken shall be subject to a decision by the Annual Meeting of the National Designated Authorities based on the results of an evaluation mission at the expense of the participating country in arrears, in accordance with the conditions for the admission procedure for a new country provided for in Annex to the Decision, Appendix V. Participants and Observers to the Scheme shall be notified of all developments associated with the implementation of this procedure.

10.5 The present procedure shall apply as of 1 January 2007, and apply to arrears due for 2006 and successive years. Arrears of the contributions due for one or more years before 2006 shall be subject to separate settlement with the Organisation.

11. Seed collected before the adoption of the present Decision can be allowed by the Designated Authority to be marketed under the former Scheme until exhaustion of the stocks previously accumulated. For plants raised from such seed, the period may be extended for five years.

II. INSTRUCTS the Committee for Agriculture to report to the Council, when it considers it appropriate, on the operation of the OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme, and to submit to the Council, where necessary, any proposal for modifying that Scheme.

III AUTHORISES the Committee for Agriculture to decide on any technical amendments to the Annex of the OECD Scheme for the Certification of Forest Reproductive Material moving in International Trade. These amendments shall then be transmitted to the Council for information.

IV. DECIDES:

This Decision replaces the Decision of the Council C(74)29(Final) and its subsequent amendments referred to above, which are hereby repealed.

ANNEX

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

DEFINITIONS

RULES OF THE SCHEME

GENERAL

Rule 1. CATEGORIES OF FOREST REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL

Rule 2. DELINEATION OF REGIONS OF PROVENANCE

Rule 3. APPROVAL OF BASIC MATERIAL

Rule 4. REGISTRATION OF APPROVED BASIC MATERIAL

Rule 5. PRODUCTION OF REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL FOR ALL CATEGORIES

Rule 6. INSPECTION, SEALING AND LABELLING OF REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL

Rule 7. METHOD OF OPERATION OF THE SCHEME

APPENDIX I. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE APPROVAL OF BASIC MATERIAL INTENDED FOR THE PRODUCTION OF REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL TO BE CERTIFIED AS SOURCE-IDENTIFIED

APPENDIX II. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE APPROVAL OF BASIC MATERIAL INTENDED FOR THE PRODUCTION OF REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL TO BE CERTIFIED AS SELECTED

APPENDIX III. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE APPROVAL OF BASIC MATERIAL INTENDED FOR THE PRODUCTION OF REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL TO BE CERTIFIED AS QUALIFIED

APPENDIX IV. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE APPROVAL OF BASIC MATERIAL INTENDED FOR THE PRODUCTION OF REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL TO BE CERTIFIED AS ‘TESTED’

APPENDIX V. SPECIMEN CERTIFICATE OF PROVENANCE FOR REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL DERIVED FROM SEED SOURCES OR FROM STANDS

APPENDIX VI. SPECIMEN CERTIFICATE OF IDENTITY FOR REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL DERIVED FROM SEED ORCHARDS OR PARENTS OF FAMILY/IES

APPENDIX VII. SPECIMEN CERTIFICATE OF IDENTITY FOR REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL DERIVED FROM CLONES OR CLONAL MIXTURES

APPENDIX VIII. SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE OECD LABEL

APPENDIX IX. CERTIFICATE NUMBERS FOR LOTS OF CERTIFIED REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL

APPENDIX X. PROCEDURE FOR THE EXTENSION OF THE OECD SCHEME FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF FOREST REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL MOVING IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE TO NON-MEMBERS OF THE OECD

APPENDIX X.A. PROCEDURE FOR ADMITTING OECD MEMBERS INTO THE OECD SCHEME FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF FOREST REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL MOVING IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE

APPENDIX XI. COMPLEMENTARY DEFINITIONS RELATED TO THE OECD FOREST SEED AND PLANT SCHEME

INTRODUCTION

1. The object of the OECD Scheme for the Certification of Forest Reproductive Material Moving in International Trade, hereinafter called "the OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme” or “the Scheme", is to encourage the production and use of seeds, parts of plants and plants that have been collected, processed and marketed in a manner that ensures their trueness to name. Forest Reproductive Material covered by the Scheme and marketed under OECD certification is primarily intended for use in forestry and agroforestry. Forestry and agroforestry have multifunctional purposes. They can produce different services (e.g. erosion control, biodiversity, water infiltration, carbon storage, etc.) and goods (e.g. wood, fruit, gum, resin, cork, etc.). The propagation material for agricultural fruit plantations¹ is excluded from this Scheme.

2. Due to the length of forest cycles and to the cost of plantations and long-term forest investment, it is essential that foresters get fully reliable information on the origin and on the genetic characteristics of the Forest Reproductive Material they will use in plantation. This Scheme meets that need by means of certification and traceability.

3. The Scheme has a major role in helping world forests adapt to changing climatic conditions. Emphasis should be made on preserving species diversity, and ensuring high genetic diversity within species and seed lots thereby enhancing the adaptive potential of forest reproductive material for future reforestation and afforestation.

4. The Scheme recognizes the interest and responsible use of biotechnology to provide for forest tree improvement. The administration of this Scheme builds on the mandatory respect of National Laws and Regulations regarding biotechnology safety. Hence it is up to the Members whether they choose to deregulate trading of biotechnology products following specific assessment or require that a biotechnology product be authorised for any intended use and identified as such. In this context, when a Member country deregulates a biotechnology product, some countries may request additional information on this biotechnology product beyond the OECD Certificate and Label at the import stage, in compliance with National Regulations.

5. Under the Scheme, reproductive material falls into four categories. These categories are applied to the reproductive material which is derived from approved basic material. Basic material is given approval by the Designated Authority.

6. There are four categories recognised in the Scheme under which reproductive material can be certified, namely:

Source-identified
This is the minimum standard permitted in which the location and altitude of the place(s) from which reproductive material is collected must be recorded; little or no phenotypic selection has taken place.

Selected
The basic material must be phenotypically selected at the population level.

Qualified
The components of the basic material have been selected at the individual level; however evaluation may not have been undertaken or completed.

Tested
The superiority of the reproductive material must have been demonstrated by comparative testing or an estimate of its superiority calculated from the genetic evaluation of the components of the basic material.

7. There are six types of basic material recognised in the Scheme from which reproductive material can be collected, namely: Seed source, Stand, Seed Orchard, Parents of Family(ies), Clone and Clonal Mixture.

dEFINITIONS²

The terms used in the Scheme will be interpreted as follows:

Forest Reproductive Material

Reproductive material of genera and species of forest trees and shrubs. It includes:

· Seeds:
Cones, fruits and seeds that are intended for the production of plants.

· Parts of plants:

Stem-, leaf- and root-cuttings, buds, scions, layers and any parts of a plant which are intended for the production of plants.

· Plants:
Plants raised by means of seeds or parts of plants; also includes plants from natural regeneration.

Basic Material

Trees from which reproductive material is obtained. The six types of basic material eligible under the Scheme are:

· Seed Source:
Trees within an area from which seeds are collected.

· Stand:
A delineated population of trees possessing sufficient uniformity.

– Autochthonous stand³:

An autochthonous stand is one which has been continuously regenerated by natural regeneration. The stand may be regenerated artificially from reproductive material collected in the same stand or autochthonous stands within the close proximity.

– Indigenous stand³:

An indigenous stand is an autochthonous stand or is a stand raised artificially from seed, the origin of which is situated in the same region of provenance.

· Seed Orchard:

A plantation of selected individuals where each one is identified by clone, family or provenance, which is isolated or managed to avoid or reduce pollination from outside sources, and managed to produce frequent, abundant and easily harvested crops of seed.

· Parents of Family(ies):

Trees used to obtain progeny by controlled or open pollination of one identified parent used as a female, with the pollen of one parent (full-sibling) or a number of identified or unidentified parents (half-sibling).

· Clone:

Group of individuals (ramets) derived originally from a single individual (ortet) by vegetative propagation (e.g. by cuttings, micropropagation, grafts, layers, etc).

· Clonal Mixture:

A mixture of initially identified clones in defined proportions.

Origin

For an autochthonous seed source or stand, the origin is the place in which the trees are growing. For a non-autochthonous seed source or stand, the origin is the place from which the seed or plants were originally introduced. The origin of a seed source or stand may be unknown.

Provenance

The place in which any seed source or stand of trees is growing.

Region of Provenance

For a species or sub-species, the Region of Provenance is the area or group of areas subject to sufficiently uniform ecological conditions in which stands showing similar phenotypic or genetic characters are found.

Designated Authority

An Authority designated by and responsible to the Government of a country participating in the Scheme for the purpose of implementing these Rules on its behalf.

RULES OF THE SCHEME

GENERAL

The Scheme will cover all seeds, parts of plants and plants which have been collected, transported and processed, stored, raised, sampled, labelled and sealed in accordance with the rules that follow. The said rules constitute the minimum requirements. The Scheme will be implemented in the participating country by the Designated Authority. More detailed rules for delineating Regions of Provenance and the approval of basic material which a participating country may stipulate will be made available by the Designated Authority in an official publication (see Rules 2, 3 and 4).

Rule 1. CATEGORIES OF FOREST REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL

The four categories recognised in the Scheme under which reproductive material can be certified are the following:

1.1 Source-identified

The six requirements for certification under this category are:

a) the Region of Provenance where the reproductive material is collected will be delineated by the Designated Authority in the manner described in Rule 2;

b) it must be stated whether the basic material is autochthonous/indigenous, non-autochthonous/ non-indigenous or the origin is unknown and for non-autochthonous/non-indigenous basic material the origin must be stated if known;

c) the basic material will not have been derived from or subjected to plant breeding techniques;

d) the basic material will be sufficiently isolated (by approval of the Designated Authority) from trees which would potentially dilute or compromise the genetic composition of the reproductive material. In particular, basic material in proximity to trees/stands of non-autochthonous/non-indigenous origin, unknown origin, or derived from plant breeding techniques should not be approved;

e) the reproductive material will be derived from basic material as defined in Rule 3.2(a), conforming to the requirements given in Appendix I and registered by the Designated Authority according to Rule 4;

f) the reproductive material will be produced under the control of the Designated Authority according to Rule 5.

1.2 Selected

The six requirements for certification under this category are:

a) the Region of Provenance where the reproductive material is collected will be delineated by the Designated Authority in the manner described in Rule 2;

c) the basic material will not have been derived from or subjected to plant breeding techniques;

d) the basic material will be sufficiently isolated (by approval of the Designated Authority) from trees which would potentially dilute or compromise the genetic composition of the reproductive material. In particular, basic material in proximity to trees/stands of non autochthonous/non-indigenous origin, unknown origin, or derived from plant breeding techniques should not be approved;

e) the reproductive material will be derived from basic material approved according to Rule 3.1 and defined in Rule 3.2(b), conforming to the requirements given in Appendix II, and registered by the Designated Authority according to Rule 4;

f) the reproductive material will be produced under the control of the Designated Authority according to Rule 5.

1.3 Qualified

The three requirements for certification under this category are:

a) the basic material will be sufficiently isolated (by approval of the Designated Authority) from trees which would potentially dilute or compromise the genetic composition of the reproductive material. In particular, basic material in proximity to trees/stands of non-autochthonous/non-indigenous origin or unknown origin should not be approved;

b) the reproductive material will be derived from basic material approved according to Rules 3.1 and 3.2(c), conforming to the requirements given in Appendix III, and registered by the Designated Authority according to Rule 4;

c) the reproductive material will be produced under the control of the Designated Authority according to Rule 5.

1.4 Tested

The three requirements for certification under this category are:

b) the reproductive material will be derived from basic material approved according to Rules 3.1 and 3.2(d), conforming to the requirements given in Appendix IV, and registered by the Designated Authority according to Rule 4; the genetic superiority of the reproductive material must have been estimated from a genetic evaluation of components of the basic material (Appendix IV-2) or proved by comparative tests (Appendix IV-3);

c) the reproductive material will be produced under the control of the Designated Authority according to Rule 5.

Rule 2. DELINEATION OF REGIONS OF PROVENANCE

2.1 Establishing Regions of Provenance is fundamental to the implementation of the Scheme. The Designated Authority will delineate Region(s) of Provenance for all species to which the Scheme applies.

2.2 Regions of Provenance will be delineated by means of administrative and geographic boundaries and, where applicable, by altitudinal and other appropriate boundaries judged to be significant in the country concerned.

2.3 Maps showing the boundaries of the Regions of Provenance together with their reference numbers or letters will be established and published.

2.4 Maps and detailed descriptions of each Region of Provenance must be submitted to the Secretariat of the OECD.

Rule 3. APPROVAL OF BASIC MATERIAL

3.1 The unit of approval is the basic material. Each unit comprises a single entry in the National Register (Rule 4). Prior to approval, the basic material (except for basic material intended for the production of reproductive material to be certified as Source-identified) will be inspected by the Designated Authority. When approved by the Designated Authority, it will be maintained under its supervision until the approval is withdrawn. The approval of basic material shall be withdrawn if the minimum requirements are no longer fulfilled. Re-inspections must be made at intervals decided by the Designated Authority.

3.2 Approved basic material produces reproductive material which can be certified under the four categories described in Rule 1. Requirements to be fulfilled in each category will be as follows:

a) Source-identified

The basic material will be a seed source or stand located within a single Region of Provenance. Little or no phenotypic selection takes place; therefore formal inspection to control selection is not required. The seed source will have to meet the minimum requirements set out in Appendix I.

b) Selected

The basic material will be a stand located within a single Region of Provenance and phenotypically selected in a way which satisfies the minimum requirements for basic material specified in Appendix II.

c) Qualified

The basic material will be seed orchards, parents of family(ies), clones or clonal mixtures, the components of which have been phenotypically selected in a way which satisfies the minimum requirements for basic material specified in Appendix III-1, III-2, III-3 or III-4 as appropriate.

d) Tested

The basic material will consist of stands, seed orchards, parents of family(ies), clones or clonal mixtures.

The basic material must also fulfil the minimum requirements specified in Appendix II or III as appropriate.

There are two ways in which basic material may qualify for approval in this category:

i) genetic evaluation

The components of the different types of basic material must have been evaluated as shown to satisfy the minimum requirements for basic material specified in Appendices IV-1 and IV-2 [or IV-5 if appropriate].

ii) comparative testing

Reproductive material derived from the basic material must have been shown to be superior to appropriate standards in one or more characters important to forestry in comparative tests conducted in specified environments and approved by the Designated Authority. Detailed requirements for such comparative tests are set out in Appendices IV-1 and IV-3 [or IV-5 if appropriate].

Seed orchards and parents of families established to produce a species hybrid must also fulfil the specific requirement in Appendices III-1.e and III-2.d.

Conditional approval can be granted if the requirements of Appendix IV-4 are fulfilled.

3.3 The following table relates types of basic material to categories in which reproductive material can be certified:

	*CATEGORY OF FOREST REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL* (Label colour according to Appendix VIII)
*TYPE OF BASIC MATERIAL*	*SOURCE-IDENTIFIED* (Yellow)	*SELECTED* (Green)	*QUALIFIED* (Pink)	*TESTED* (Blue)
Seed Source	X
Stand	X	X		X
Seed Orchard			X	X
Parents of Family/ies			X	X
Clone			X	X
Clonal Mixture			X	X

3.4 The Designated Authority can approve subsequent multiplication by vegetative propagation of seed certified in the categories Selected, Qualified or Tested. In such a case the material produced will assume the same category as the original seed.

Rule 4. REGISTRATION OF APPROVED BASIC MATERIAL

4.1 National Register

The Designated Authority must establish and maintain a National Register in which each unit of approved basic material is recorded. The National Register will contain full details of each unit including management, site and administrative details. A map or plan must be made available on request.

4.2 Minimum Information in the Register

The National Register of Approved Basic Material will contain the following minimum information:

1) Identification:	Reference identity (numbers and/or letters) of the approved basic material and its name (if applicable)
2) Botanical name:	Genus, species, subspecies and variety (as applicable)
3) Purpose(s):	To be stated
4) Category of reproductive material to be produced:	Source-identified / Selected / Qualified / Tested
5) Type of basic material:	Seed source / Stand / Seed Orchard / Parents of family/ies / Clone / Clonal mixture.
6) Location
· for basic material used to produce reproductive material to be certified as Source-identified:
	a short title, and the Region of Provenance
· for basic material used to produce reproductive material to be certified as Selected:
	a short title, the Region of Provenance and geographical position as defined by latitude and longitude or latitudinal and longitudinal range
· for basic material used to produce reproductive material to be certified as Qualified or Tested:
	a short title and the exact geographical position(s) where the basic material is maintained
7) Altitude:	The altitude or the altitudinal range
8) Area:	The size (in hectares) of a stand
	not applicable to basic material used to produce reproductive material to be certified as Source-identified
9) Origin:	It must be stated whether the basic material is autochthonous/ indigenous, non-autochthonous/non-indigenous or the origin is unknown. For non-autochthonous/non-indigenous basic material, the origin must be stated if known
In addition, for Seed Orchards:
10 ) Type of orchard (clonal, families or material from provenances)
11 ) Crossing design and type of field layout
12 ) Number of components (clones, families or material from provenances)
13 ) Year(s) during which established
14 ) Region(s) of Provenance of components (clones, families or material from provenances)
For the seed orchards representing a more advanced stage of breeding, information from breeding records may be substituted for the information about origin and Region(s) of Provenance.

4.3 Summary List

a) Each Designated Authority must keep an updated Summary List of Basic Material eligible under the Scheme. A summary list of basic material based on Region of Provenance is permitted.

b) The Summary List should be in English or French and will be available on request to the Secretariat of the OECD and to all participating countries.

Rule 5. PRODUCTION OF REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL FOR ALL CATEGORIES

5.1 Minimum Requirements for the Production of Reproductive Material

Regulations governing the production of all reproductive material will be made available by the Designated Authority in an official publication. The minimum requirements for the certification of reproductive material are the following:

a) Prior to the production or collection of any reproductive material, the Designated Authority must be notified in order to exercise control;

b) Reproductive material can only be collected from approved basic material.

c) Reproductive material must be collected by agents/agencies registered with the Designated Authority; likewise extraction, cleaning, packaging and storage of seed must be made by agents/ agencies registered with the Designated Authority;

d) Sowing of seed, transplanting of seedlings, collection of parts of plants and all vegetative propagation operations must be made in a nursery or in a propagating agency registered with the Designated Authority;

e) Satisfactory records must be kept of collection, processing, raising and storage of all reproductive material and these records must be available for inspection.

5.2 Separation of Lots

Except under circumstances outlined in 5.3 below, all reproductive material must, during collection, transport, processing, storage, marketing and raising be kept in lots separated by:

a) Unit of approval as identified in the National Register;

b) Year of ripening of seed or of collection of parts of plants;

c) Length of time in the nursery as seedlings, rooted cuttings, grafts, or transplants.

5.3 Mixing of Lots

Only the following exceptions for mixing of lots will be permitted, if all other requirements for the separation of lots according to Rule 5.2 are met.

a) Mixing of reproductive material from two or more units of approval will be permitted for certification either within the category Source-identified or within the category Selected and is restricted to mixing material from within a single Region of Provenance. If mixing of reproductive material from seed sources and stands in the category Source-identified takes place, the reproductive material of the new combined lot will be certified as derived from a seed source.

b) Mixing of lots may be permitted for reproductive material derived from non-autochthonous/ non-indigenous basic material with that from unknown origin, and the reproductive material of the new combined lot will be certified as of unknown origin.

c) Mixing of reproductive material based on seed lots from different years of ripening will only be permitted in agreement with the Designated Authority.

Rule 6. INSPECTION, SEALING AND LABELLING OF REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL

6.1 Inspection

All categories of reproductive material must be controlled by the Designated Authority, at least by random checking during collection, processing, storage, raising, labelling and sealing.

6.2 Sealing and Labelling

All lots of forest reproductive material will be accompanied by a label or labels as indicated below.

a) Seed will be marketed in packages which will be sealed by the supplier and a label bearing the information in Appendix VIII will be fixed by the seal. A sealing device which cannot be re-attached after removal will be used. A duplicate of the label will also be placed inside the package.

b) Each consignment of plants and parts of plants will be labelled in such a way as to preserve the identity of the consignment.

c) The labels will be issued by the Designated Authority in English or French and will conform to the specifications given in Appendix VIII. Certificate numbers to be used on the labels are given in Appendix IX. A draft of these labels must be submitted by the Designated Authority to the Secretariat of the OECD for prior approval.

d) When re-labelling and re-sealing take place, the new labels will reproduce all the information given on the original labels except the name of the Designated Authority in the country of origin. They must also indicate that re-labelling has taken place.

6.3 Certificates

For all lots of forest reproductive material, one of the following certificates will be issued:

· a certificate of provenance for reproductive material derived from seed sources or stands (See Appendix V)

· a certificate of identity for reproductive material derived from seed orchards or parents of family(ies) (see Appendix VI)

· a certificate of identity for reproductive material derived from clones or clonal mixtures (see Appendix VII)

a) Each certificate will be given a certificate number.

b) The certificate will be issued by the Designated Authority in English or French and will conform to the specifications given in Appendix V, VI or VII. A draft specimen of any certificate printed nationally must be submitted to the Secretariat of the OECD for prior approval.

c) When mixing of lots has taken place (see Rule 5.3), this must be recorded on the certificate of provenance. The reference identities in the National Register of the basic material used in a mixture may be recorded on the certificate.

d) If a single lot of reproductive material is divided outside the country of production, new certificates will be issued by the Designated Authority in the country in which the division has taken place. These certificates will reproduce all the information given on the original certificate and also a statement that the lot has been divided.

Rule 7. METHOD OF OPERATION OF THE SCHEME

7.1 Designated Authority

a) The government of each country participating in the OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme will designate the Authority to implement the Scheme in that country.

b) The name and address of the Designated Authority and any changes in its designation will be circulated by the Secretariat of the OECD to all countries participating in the Scheme.

7.2 Review and Co-ordination

a) The operation and progress of the Scheme will be reviewed as necessary at meetings of representatives of the Designated Authorities. These meetings will report on the working of the Scheme and make such proposals as are deemed necessary to the Committee for Agriculture of the OECD.

b) The necessary co-ordination of the operation of the Scheme at the international level will be ensured by the Secretariat of the OECD.

7.3 Responsibility

When forest reproductive material is packed, sealed and labelled under one of the categories defined in these Rules, it is understood that all controls have been made in strict accordance with the Rules.

APPENDIX I

Minimum requirements for the approval of basic material intended for the production of reproductive material to be certified as Source identified

1. Origin

It must be determined either by historical investigation or other appropriate means whether the population is autochthonous/indigenous, non-autochthonous/non-indigenous or the origin is unknown. For non-autochthonous/non-indigenous basic material, the origin must be stated if known.

2. Effective Size of the Population

To maintain genetic diversity and ensure adequate inter-pollination, populations must consist of one or more groups of trees well distributed and sufficiently numerous.

3. Adaptation and resistance

Adaptation to the ecological conditions prevailing in the Region of Provenance must be evident. The trees must in general be free from attacks by damaging organisms and show resistance to the adverse climatic and site conditions in the place where they are growing.

Note: The seed source or stand shall meet criteria set by the Designated Authority.

APPENDIX II

Minimum Requirements for the Approval of Basic Material Intended for the Production of Reproductive Material to be Certified as Selected

1. Origin

It must be determined either by historical investigation or other appropriate means whether the stand is autochthonous/indigenous, non-autochthonous/non-indigenous or the origin is unknown. For non-autochthonous/non-indigenous basic material, the origin must be stated if known.

2. Isolation

Stands will be situated at a sufficient distance from poor stands of the same species or from stands of a related species or variety which can form hybrids with the species in question. In particular, the stands surrounding autochthonous/indigenous stands that are themselves non-autochthonous/non-indigenous or of unknown origin should not be approved. See also Rule 1.2(d).

3. Effective Size of the Population

To maintain genetic diversity and ensure adequate inter-pollination, stands must consist of one or more groups of trees well distributed and sufficiently numerous.

4. Age and Development

Stands will consist of trees of such an age, height or stage of development that the criteria given for the selection can be clearly judged.

5. Uniformity

Stands must show a normal degree of individual variation in morphological characters. When necessary, inferior trees should be removed.

6. Adaptation and resistance

7. Volume production

Volume production of wood is an important criterion for the approval of selected stands. It must normally be superior to the accepted mean under similar ecological conditions.

8. Wood Quality

The quality of the wood should be taken into account and, in some cases, may become an essential criterion.

9. Form or Growth Habit

Trees in stands must show particularly good morphological features, especially straightness and circularity of stem, favourable branching habit, small size of branches and good natural pruning. In addition, the proportion of forked trees and those showing spiral grain should be low.

10. Specific purposes

The stand will be judged with respect to the stated purpose to which the reproductive material will be put and less emphasis may be placed on some of the above criteria. The criteria for selection will be agreed with the Designated Authority and will be made available on request.

APPENDIX III

Minimum requirements for the approval of basic material intended for the production of reproductive material to be certified as QUALIFIED

1. Seed Orchards

a) The type, objective, crossing design and field layout, components, isolation and location and any changes of these must be approved and registered with the Designated Authority.

b) The component clones, families or materials from provenances will be selected for their desired characters and special consideration will be given to the requirements 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and where appropriate, 10 of Appendix II.

c) The component clones, families or materials from provenances will be planted according to a plan which has been approved by the Designated Authority and established in such a way that each component can be identified.

d) When changes in genetic components occur, they will be described and registered by the National Designated Authority, and also authorised for their intended uses if national legislation so requires.

e) The seed orchards will be managed and seed harvested in such a way that the objectives of the orchards are attained. In the case of a seed orchard intended for the production of hybrids, the percentage of hybrids in the reproductive material must be determined by a verification test.

2. Parents of Family(ies)

a) The parents shall be selected for their outstanding characters and special consideration will be given to the requirements 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of Appendix II, or selected for their combining ability.

b) The objective, crossing design and pollination system, components, isolation and location and any significant changes of these must be approved and registered with the Designated Authority.

c) The identity, number and proportion of the parents in a mixture must be approved and registered with the Designated Authority.

d) In the case of parents intended for the production of an artificial hybrid, the percentage of hybrids in the reproductive material must be determined by a verification test.

3. Clones

a) Clones shall be identifiable by distinctive characters which have been approved and registered with the Designated Authority.

b) The value of individual clones shall be established by experience or have been demonstrated by sufficiently prolonged experimentation.

c) Ortets used for the production of clones shall be selected for their outstanding characters and special consideration should be given to the requirements 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of Appendix II.

d) Approval shall be restricted to a maximum number of years or a maximum number of ramets produced, if appropriate.

4. Clonal Mixtures

a) Clonal mixtures shall meet the requirements for clones determined in point 3.

b) The identity, number and proportion of the component clones of a mixture, and the selection method and foundation stock must be approved and registered with the Designated Authority. Each mixture must contain sufficient genetic diversity as approved by the Designated Authority.

APPENDIX IV

Minimum requirements for the approval of basic material intended for the production of reproductive material to be certified as ‘TESTED’

1. REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL TESTS

(a) General

The basic material must satisfy the appropriate requirements in Appendix II or III. Tests set up for the approval of basic material are to be prepared, laid out, conducted and their results interpreted in accordance with internationally recognised procedures. For comparative tests, the reproductive material under test must be compared with one or preferably several approved or pre-chosen standards.

(b) Characters to be examined

(i) Tests must be designed to assess specified characters, which must be indicated for each test.

(ii) Weight shall be given to adaptation, growth, biotic and abiotic factors of importance. In addition, other characters, considered important in view of the intended specific purpose, shall be evaluated in relation to the ecological conditions of the region in which the test is carried out.

Records must describe the test sites, including location, climate, soil, past use, establishment, management and any damage due to abiotic/biotic factors, and be available to the Designated Authority. Age of the material and results at the time of the evaluation must be recorded with the Designated Authority.

(d) Setting up the tests

(i) Each sample of reproductive material shall be raised, planted and managed in an identical way as far as the types of plant material permit.

(ii) Each experiment must be established in a valid statistical design with a sufficient number of trees in order that the individual characteristics of each component under examination can be evaluated.

(e) Analysis and validity of results

(i) The data from experiments must be analysed using internationally recognised statistical methods and the results presented for each character examined.

(ii) The methodology used for the test and the detailed results obtained shall be made freely available.

(iii) A statement of the suggested region of probable adaptation within the country in which the test was carried out and characteristics which might limit its usefulness must also be given.

(iv) If during testing it is proven that the reproductive material does not possess, at the least, the characteristics of:

- the basic material or

- similar resistance of the basic material to harmful organisms of economic importance, then such reproductive material shall not be approved as tested.

2. REQUIREMENTS FOR GENETIC EVALUATION OF COMPONENTS OF BASIC MATERIAL

(a) The components of the following basic material may be genetically evaluated: seed orchards, parents of family(ies), clones and clonal mixtures.

(b) Documentation

The following additional documentation is required for approval of the basic material:

(i) The identity, origin and pedigree of the evaluated components;

(ii) The crossing design used to produce the reproductive material used in the evaluation tests.

The following requirements must be met:

(i) The genetic value of each component must be estimated in two or more evaluation test-sites, at least one of which must be in an environment relevant to where the reproductive material will be recommended;

(ii) The test period should be of sufficient duration for the tested characteristics to be expressed;

(iii) The estimated superiority of the reproductive material to be marketed shall be calculated on the basis of these genetic values and the specific crossing design;

(iv) Evaluation tests and genetic calculations must be approved by the Designated Authority.

(d) Interpretation

(i) The estimated superiority of the reproductive material shall be calculated against a reference population for a character or set of characters.

(ii) It shall be stated whether the estimated genetic value of the reproductive material is inferior to the reference population for any important character.

3. REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPARATIVE TESTING OF REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL

(a) Sampling of the reproductive material

(i) The sample of the reproductive material for comparative testing must be truly representative of the reproductive material derived from the basic material to be approved.

(ii) Sexually produced reproductive material for comparative testing shall be:

- harvested in years of good flowering and good fruit/seed production; artificial pollination may be utilised;

- harvested by methods that ensure that the samples obtained are representative.

(b) Standards

(i) The performance of standards used for comparative purposes in the tests should, if possible, have been known over a sufficiently long period in the region in which the test is to be carried out. The standards represent, in principle, material that has been shown to be useful at the time that the test starts, and in ecological conditions for which it is proposed to certify the material. They should come as far as possible from stands selected according to the criteria in Appendix II or from basic material officially approved for production of tested material.

(ii) For comparative testing of artificial hybrids, both parent species must, if possible, be included among the standards.

(iii) Whenever possible several standards are to be used. When necessary and justified, standards may be replaced by the most suitable of the material under test or the mean of the components of the test.

(iv) The same standards will be used in all tests over as wide a range of site conditions as possible.

(i) A statistically significant superiority as compared with the standards must be demonstrated for at least one important character.

(ii) It will be clearly reported if there are any characters of economic or environmental importance which show significantly inferior results to the standards and their effects must be compensated for by favourable characters.

4. CONDITIONAL APPROVAL

Preliminary assessment of young trials may be the basis for conditional approval. Claims of superiority based on an early assessment must be re-examined at a maximum interval of ten years.

5. EARLY TESTS

Nursery, greenhouse and laboratory tests may be accepted by the Designated Authority for conditional approval or for final approval if it can be shown that there is a close correlation between the measured trait and the characters which would normally be assessed in forest stage tests. Other characters to be tested must meet the requirements set out in paragraph 3.

APPENDIX V

SPECIMEN CERTIFICATE OF PROVENANCE FOR REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL DERIVED FROM SEED SOURCES OR FROM STANDS

Issued in accordance with the OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme

[Certificate must contain all the information outlined below, but the exact arrangement of the text is at the discretion of the Designated Authority]

........................	Certificate No..............
(Country)

It is certified that the forest reproductive material described below has been produced in accordance with the OECD Scheme for the Certification of Forest Reproductive Material Moving in International Trade.

1. i. Botanical name:

ii. Common name:

2. Nature of reproductive material: Seeds^*/Parts of plants*/Plants*

3. Category of reproductive material: Source-identified*/Selected*/Tested*

4. Purpose(s): list all covered purposes

5. Type of basic material: Seed source*/Stand*

6. Reference identity of basic material in National Register: ..../Mixture*

7. Autochthonous/indigenous */ Non-autochthonous/ non-indigenous * /Unknown*

8. Origin of basic material (for non-autochthonous/non-indigenous material, if known):

9. Region of Provenance of basic material:

Provenance (short title)^**:

10. Number of harvested trees (best estimate):

11. Quantity:

12. Is the material covered by this certificate the result of subdivision of a larger lot covered by a previous OECD certificate? Yes*/No*

Previous certificate number:

Total quantity of seed*/part of plants*/plant* in the initial lot:

13. Length of time in nursery**:

14. Year(s) in which seed ripened:

15. Altitude of site of basic material:

In the case of subsequent vegetative propagation of material derived from seed:

16. Method of propagation:

17. Number of cycles of propagation:

18. Number and nature of packages**:

19. Other relevant information**:

Place: (Stamp of Designated Authority)

20. Name and address of the Supplier;

21. Name and address of the National Designated Authority;

22. Name of responsible officer;

Date:

Signature:

Rank:

APPENDIX VI

SPECIMEN CERTIFICATE OF IDENTITY FOR REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL DERIVED FROM SEED ORCHARDS OR PARENTS OF FAMILY(IES)

Issued in accordance with the OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme

[Certificate must contain all the information outlined below, but the exact arrangement of the text is at the discretion of the Designated Authority]

........................	Certificate No..............
(Country)

1. i. Botanical name:

ii. Common name:

iii. Name of hybrid^*:

2. Nature of reproductive material: Seeds* / Plants*

3. Category of reproductive material: Qualified / Tested

4. Stated purpose: (to be specified)............

5. Type of basic material: Seed orchard/ Parents of Family/ies

6. Reference identity of basic material in National Register:

7. Autochthonous/indigenous */ Non-autochthonous/ non-indigenous * / Unknown*

8. Origin of basic material (for non-autochthonous/non‑indigenous material, if known):

9. Country and region of provenance or location of basic material:

Provenance (short title)*:

10. Quantity:

11. Is the material covered by this certificate the result of subdivision of a larger lot covered by a previous OECD certificate? Yes*/No*

Previous certificate number:

Total quantity of seeds* / parts of plants* / plants* in the initial lot:

12. Length of time in nursery*:

13. Seed derived from: Open pollination* / Supplemental pollination* / Controlled pollination*

14. Year(s) in which seed ripened:

15. Location and altitude of site of basic material:

16. Number of components represented (material from provenances * /families * /clones*):

17. Percentage of hybrids (if appropriate):

For reproductive material derived from parents of family(ies):

18. Crossing design:

19. Range of percentage composition of component families:

In case of subsequent vegetative propagation of material derived from seed:

20. Method of propagation:

21. Number of cycles of propagation:

Optional:

22. Number and nature of packages:

23. Other relevant information:

Place: (Stamp of Designated Authority)

24. Name and address of the Supplier;

25. Name and address of the National Designated Authority;

26. Name of responsible officer;

Date:

Signature:

Rank:

APPENDIX VII

SPECIMEN CERTIFICATE OF IDENTITY FOR REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL DERIVED FROM CLONES OR CLONAL MIXTURES

Issued in accordance with the OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme

[Certificate must contain all the information outlined below, but the exact arrangement of the text is at the discretion of the Designated Authority]

........................	Certificate No..............
(Country)

1. i. Botanical name:

ii. Common name:

iii. Name of clone^*, clonal mixture*:

2. Nature of reproductive material: Part of plants* / Plants*

3. Category of reproductive material: Qualified* / Tested*

4. Stated purpose: (to be specified)............

5. Type of basic material: Clone* / Clonal mixture*

6. Reference identity of basic material in National Register:

7. Autochthonous/indigenous */ Non-autochthonous/ non-indigenous * / Unknown*

8. Origin of basic material (for non-autochthonous/non-indigenous material, if known):

9. Region of Provenance of basic material, if known:

Provenance (short title)*:

10. Quantity:

11. Is the material covered by this certificate the result of subdivision of a larger lot covered by a previous OECD certificate? Yes* / No*

Previous certificate number:

Total quantity of parts of plants*/ plants* in the initial lot:

12. Method of propagation:

13. Length of time in nursery*:

For clonal mixtures:

14. Number of clones in mixture:

15. Range of percentage composition of component clones:

Optional:

16. Number and nature of packages:

17. Other relevant information:

Place: (Stamp of Designated Authority)

18. Name and address of the Supplier;

19. Name and address of the National Designated Authority;

20. Name of responsible officer;

Date:

Signature:

Rank:

APPENDIX VIII

SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE OECD LABEL

1. Shape

The label will be of a length/width ratio of 1.4: 1 ('A' series format) with square corners.

2. Colour

a) The use of coloured labels is optional but, if colour coding with respect to category of reproductive material is used, the colour of the label which accompanies the material will be:

· category Source-identified	YELLOW
· category Selected	GREEN
· category Qualified	PINK
· category Tested	BLUE

b) If coloured labels are not used, the name of the colour corresponding to the category must be printed on the labels. Overprinting/overstamping of uncoloured labels with the colour name (e.g. 'GREEN') may be used.

3. Name of the OECD Scheme

a) The name of the OECD Scheme will be printed on each side of the label. This name will be on one side "OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme" and on the other side "Système de l’OCDE pour les semences et plants forestiers”.

b) These words will be printed with a minimum height of lettering of 2 mm.

c) Single face labels may be used, provided that the name of the OECD Scheme as mentioned above is printed in both languages.

4. Prescribed Information

The following information will be printed:

1. Name and address of the Designated Authority

2. Botanical name

3. Purpose(s)

4. Category (Source-identified / Selected / Qualified / Tested)

5. Type of Basic Material (Seed source / Stand / Seed orchard / Parents of family(ies) / Clone / Clonal mixture)

6. Number of Certificate of Provenance or Identity (Appendix IX).

7. Reference identity of basic material in National Register

8. Provenance, Region of Provenance or location (if relevant)

9. Origin of the basic material (if known)

5. Additional Information

Any space not occupied by the information in paragraph 4 may be left blank or used for such additional information as the Designated Authority wishes to give. Such information, however, must be in letters no larger than those used for the above statement except for label numbers. It will be strictly factual and relate only to the reproductive material certified according to the OECD Scheme (e.g. purity, 1000 seed weight, germination, where possible). No advertising may be used on the label.

6. Languages

All the information printed on the label will be given in either English or French except for the name of the Scheme as specified in paragraph 3 above. Translation into other languages may be added if thought desirable.

APPENDIX IX

CERTIFICATE NUMBERS FOR LOTS OF CERTIFIED REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL

1. In international trade, it is desirable that certificate numbers should be of uniform pattern so as to be easily identified.

2. Each lot of certified reproductive material should receive a single specific number that cannot be modified during the whole life of the seed lot and can never be attributed to another lot. In the case of mixing different seed lots, a new single specific number is attributed.

3. The first three characters of the certificate number will indicate the Country of production or origin of the certified reproductive material, by using the ISO Three-Letter Country Code.

4. The remainder of the certificate number is composed of numbers and/or letters arranged at the discretion of the National Authority. It is suggested that all certificate numbers are composed with the same number of characters. Care must be taken that there is no confusion between certificate numbers issued for different seed lots in different years. It is suggested that the year of ripening should form a component of the certificate number by means of the last two digits of the calendar year, e.g. 07 for 2007 and so on. In the case of a mixed lot, according to rule 5.3(c), the first year of ripening should form the respective component.

APPENDIX X

PROCEDURE FOR ADMITTING NON-OECD MEMBERS INTO THE OECD SCHEME FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF FOREST REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL MOVING IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE

1. Non-Member countries of the OECD, which are Members of the United Nations, its Specialised Agencies or the World Trade Organisation, may submit a written application to the Secretary-General to participate in the Scheme. The application will provide detailed information regarding the certification of forest reproductive material in that country and will include in particular:

a) a copy of the national scheme for the certification of forest reproductive material and of the rules for delineating regions of provenance and for the approval of basic material, if any, in that country;

b) a description of methods used in defining Regions of Provenance and in the approval of basic material;

c) lists of approved basic material for the production of reproductive material which are to be certified under the OECD Scheme;

d) an indication of arrangements for the supply during future years of reproductive material included in these lists;

e) indications as to the availability of qualified staff to control and certify reproductive material according to all OECD Scheme requirements;

f) a statement of the number of years of experience that the applicant country has had in the practical application of a scheme for the certification of forest reproductive material, together with details of the reproductive material controlled over the stated period.

2. The OECD will arrange for a review of the application. A specialist in the OECD certification of forest reproductive material will accompany the Secretariat to the applicant country. They will:

a) explain the technical and administrative implication of the Rules of the Scheme, as well as its organisation and co-ordination at the international level;

b) ascertain that adequate technical and administrative facilities are available for the operation of the Scheme;

c) consider the need for expert assistance from foreign countries during the initial period of the Scheme's operation.

The specialist will be chosen by the Secretariat in agreement with the Chairman of the Scheme. The financing of such a mission will be the responsibility of the applicant country.

3. The applicant country agrees to its representative(s) attending the OECD meetings of representatives of the Designated Authorities held in Paris (France) or elsewhere. When attending a meeting for the first time, the representative of the country concerned will plan to visit at least one, and preferably more, of the Designated Authorities for discussions and demonstrations of the actual work of the Scheme. The cost of the attendance at the meetings and of the visits will be borne by the applicant country. The applicant country agrees that its representative(s) attending the meetings will be persons directly responsible for the implementation of the Scheme in the country.

4. The applicant country agrees to the payment to OECD of an annual fee, the amount of which will be notified according to the established scale. The fee will be adjusted annually according to the change in the price index used in the OECD's budgetary procedures. Any default in the payment will initiate the arrears management procedure described in the Decision, section 10 “Annual contribution”. This procedure might lead, in the third year of arrears, to a decision by the Council to exclude the country from participation in the Scheme.

5. Provided the OECD is satisfied with the results of the review specified in paragraph 2, and the applicant country has submitted, in writing, the undertakings set out in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4, the Committee for Agriculture of the OECD will be asked to recommend that the Council should approve the admission of the country in question.

6. Following approval by the Council, the Secretary-General of the OECD will notify the applicant country that the application has been approved. The Designated Authorities in all countries participating in the Scheme will also be informed of the acceptance of the country concerned.

APPENDIX X.A

PROCEDURE FOR ADMITTING OECD MEMBERS INTO THE OECD SCHEME FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF FOREST REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL MOVING IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE

1. A Member wishing to adhere to the OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme would notify the Secretary-General in writing of its intention.

2. The Member shall provide the Secretariat a self-evaluation report containing information regarding the certification of forest reproductive material in that country, in line with paragraph 1 of Appendix X of this Decision.

2a. Where deemed necessary, the information provided for in accordance with paragraph 1 of Appendix X of this Decision may be evaluated by a specialist in the OECD certification of forest reproductive material chosen by the Secretariat in agreement with the Chairman of the Scheme upon reception of a new application.

3. The Annual Meeting would evaluate the request according to all relevant elements.

4. If the Annual Meeting is not ready to approve the adherence at its first examination, it may request additional information.

5. If not satisfied by the additional information provided by the candidate, the Annual Meeting may organise an evaluation mission to the candidate.

6. The Annual Meeting recommends to the Committee for Agriculture the adherence.

7. The recommendation of the Annual Meeting is transmitted to the Committee for Agriculture for endorsement. The adherence enters into force as of the date of the endorsement by the Committee for Agriculture.

8. The Secretary-General would notify the candidate of the approval of its adherence.

APPENDIX XI

COMPLEMENTARY DEFINITIONS RELATED TO THE OECD FOREST SEED AND PLANT SCHEME

These complementary definitions are not directly related to the OECD Certification of Forest Reproductive Material, but provide useful background information for the implementation of the OECD Forest Seed and Plant Scheme.

Forest

Reference: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), F. D. (2010). Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010, Terms and Definitions. Rome: http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/am665e/am665e00.pdf.

Land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover of more than 10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ. It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban land use.

Explanatory notes:

1. Forest is determined both by the presence of trees and the absence of other predominant land uses. The trees should be able to reach a minimum height of 5 meters in situ.

2. Includes areas with young trees that have not yet reached but which are expected to reach a canopy cover of 10 percent and tree height of 5 meters. It also includes areas that are temporarily unstocked due to clear-cutting as part of a forest management practice or natural disasters, and which are expected to be regenerated within 5 years. Local conditions may, in exceptional cases, justify that a longer time frame is used.

3. Includes forest roads, firebreaks and other small open areas; forest in national parks, nature reserves and other protected areas such as those of specific environmental, scientific, historical, cultural or spiritual interest.

4. Includes windbreaks, shelterbelts and corridors of trees with an area of more than 0.5 hectares and width of more than 20 meters.

5. Includes abandoned shifting cultivation land with a regeneration of trees that have, or is expected to reach, a canopy cover of 10 percent and tree height of 5 meters.

6. Includes areas with mangroves in tidal zones, regardless whether this area is classified as land area or not.

7. Includes rubber-wood, cork oak and Christmas tree plantations.

8. Includes areas with bamboo and palms provided that land use, height and canopy cover criteria are met.

9. Excludes tree stands in agricultural production systems, such as fruit tree plantations, oil palm plantations and agroforestry systems when crops are grown under tree cover. Note: Some agroforestry systems such as the “Taungya” system where crops are grown only during the first years of the forest rotation should be classified as forest.

Other wooded land:

Land not classified as Forest, spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover of 5-10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ, or with a combined cover of shrubs, bushes and trees above 10 percent. It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban land use.

Explanatory notes :

1. The definition above has two options:

- the canopy cover of trees is between 5 and 10 percent. Trees should be higher than 5 meters or able to reach 5 meters in situ.

- the canopy cover of trees is less than 5 percent but the combined cover of shrubs, bushes and trees is more than 10 percent. Includes areas of shrubs and bushes where no trees are present.

2. Includes areas with trees that will not reach a height of 5 meters in situ and with a canopy cover of 10 percent or more, e.g. some alpine tree vegetation types, arid zone mangroves, etc.

3. Includes areas with bamboo and palms provided that land use, height and canopy cover criteria are met

Notes of the Scheme to the FAO definitions of Forest and Other wooded lands

It is at the discretion of the designated authorities to decide and to inform the OECD Secretariat that “Other wooded land” may be partially or totally integrated in the national definition of forest.

Forests shall only be renewed by, natural regeneration or direct seeding or plantation of forest reproductive material. According to the policies of the national designated authorities, the same requirement may also apply to “Other wooded lands”. The artificial regeneration of forests and other wooded land by means of forest reproductive material is a component of sustainable forest management.

Agroforestry:

Reference: World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). (2013). Strategy 2013-2022: Transforming lives and landscapes with trees. Nairobi: World Agroforestry Centre. ISBN: 978-92-9059-337-9.

Agroforestry is a recently coined term derived from agriculture and forestry. It describes, however, practices developed and employed by farmers over many centuries to cultivate trees on farmland in different combinations with crops and livestock. From the pure agricultural perspective, agroforestry is about recognising and promoting trees on farm; from the strict forestry perspective, it is about recognition and rights for the tree-based systems and livelihoods that farmers/agroforesters have created and can expand with appropriate support. Whilst agroforestry is an amalgam of agriculture and forestry, rather than treating these as separate land uses, institutions, policy domains and fields of science we integrate them in a landscape approach. Most importantly though apart from bio-geophysical perspectives, agroforestry is often an entry point to progress social, economic, farmer welfare, market, environmental stewardship and political goals.

Agroforestry can be basically defined as:

The inclusion of trees in farming systems and their management in rural landscapes to enhance productivity, profitability, diversity and ecosystem sustainability.

A broader interpretation of the practice is:

A dynamic, ecologically based, natural resource management system that, through integration of trees on farms and in the agricultural landscape, diversifies and sustains production and builds social institutions.

Short rotation plantation:

Short rotation plantations are made of fast growing forest species.

Multi-functionality of forests:

Reference: European Commission, Directorate-General Agriculture and Rural Development. (2007). The EU Forest Action Plan. Brussels: European Commission, ISBN 978-92-79-19509-2.

Forests serve many purposes. They provide a livelihood for millions of workers, entrepreneurs and forest owners, and contribute significantly to economic growth, jobs and prosperity, especially in rural areas. They are an important source of raw materials for forest-based industries, providing the wood, pulp, cork and fibres that supply a plethora of sectors : construction, carpentry and furniture-making, veneer and laminate manufacture, production of household and office paper and sanitary items, to name but a few. In some countries, forest-based industries are major employers within the manufacturing sector. They also provide energy, both directly and indirectly, and a host of non-wood forest products and services, including grazing and forage for domestic and semi-wild animals.

Forests are one of the key elements of our ecosystems. They fulfil important environmental functions, serving as a habitat for a multitude of plant and animal species, protecting water and soil. They also safeguard land, infrastructure and settlements from erosion and help prevent avalanches or landslides in mountainous regions as well as providing catchments and filtering for water supplies. Forests therefore fulfil many functions. Forest management has traditionally taken into account this multi-functionality.

Different functions of forests and forestry:

Economic:

• providing a source of income

• serving as a workplace

• providing renewable resources for local and household consumption

• providing raw materials for forest-based industries

• supplying materials for high quality wood products

• delivering a local and renewable source of energy

Environmental:

• providing an ecosystem rich in biodiversity

• mitigating the effects of climate change through carbon sequestration

• protecting water resources

• providing ecological stability and integrity in the landscape

• safeguarding against avalanches and landslides in mountainous regions

• preventing soil erosion and combating desertification

• purifying the air

Social:

• supplying recreational and leisure amenities, especially to city dwellers

• providing a healthy living environment

• protecting against natural disasters

• making rural areas attractive to live in

• safeguarding cultural, heritage and spiritual values

Reference: United Nations Organization (2011). Ministerial Declaration of the High Level Segment of Ninth Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests on the occasion of the launch of the International Year of Forests, 24 January - 4 February 2011 (Report - E/CN.18/2011/20 page 1), New York:United Nations

Forests are an integral part of the global environment and human well-being, providing multiple goods and services essential for people worldwide and crucial for sustainable development and the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.

Sustainable forest management

Reference: Forest Europe. (1993). Resolution H1 General Guidelines for the Sustainable Management of Forests in Europe. Second Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe, 16-17 June 1993 (p. 1). Helsinki: Forest Europe.

Stewardship and use of forests lands in a way that maintains their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality and their potential to fulfil, now and in the future, relevant ecological, economic and social functions, at local, national, and global levels, without causing damage to other ecosystems.

Forest restoration

Reference: International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO). (2005). Multilingual Pocket Glossary of Forest Terms and Definitions. Vienna: International Union of Forest Research Organisations,

Management applied in degraded forest areas which aims to assist the natural processes of forest recovery in a way that the species composition, stand culture, biodiversity, functions and processes of the restored forest will match, as closely, as feasible, those of the original forests.

Plant Breeder’s Rights:

A Plant Breeder’s Right is a form of intellectual property by which a plant breeder can obtain protection for their new plant variety.

More information about Plant Breeder’s Rights is available on the official website of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants: www.upov.int.

The definition of “variety” under the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants is available at: http://www.upov.int/upovlex/en/conventions/1991/w_up910_.html#_1