Seed and propagating material
Only suitable, high quality seed and propagating material shall be placed on the market so that consumers (such as farmers, gardeners, processing operations etc.) are protected from substandard agricultural, forestry, or horticultural material.
In this context it is very important that seed
- is of high botanical purity,
- has a high rate of germination,
- is nearly free of impurities (such as seeds of other plant species), and
- is practically free of diseases.
This is why the import of seed must be specially inspected and monitored. The customs services are involved in the monitoring of imports.
The commercial importation of seed from non-EU countries requires an import notification that has been approved by the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung) which must be presented when the product is declared at the customs office.
The clearance for import from a non-EU country comes within the scope of competence of designated points of entry known as "Einlassstellen" (= competent customs offices). The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft) publishes information about these competent customs offices which can be identified by the note "Abfertigungen nach § 62 Pflanzenschutzgesetz von Schadorganismen, Pflanzen, Pflanzenerzeugnissen oder sonstigen Gegenständen, die Träger bestimmter Schadorganismen sind oder sein könnten, zur Einfuhr aus Staaten, die nicht Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Union sind" in the national list of customs services.
You can find information about the import of seeds and plants on the websites of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food, the Julius Kühn Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants (Julius-Kühn-Institut - Bundesforschungsanstalt für Kulturpflanzen) and the phytosanitary authorities competent for your place of business.
