Comments are being sought on Forestry Commission draft regulations designed to implement a European directive on the marketing of forest reproductive material (FRM).
The directive 1999/105/EC will be implemented from January 1, 2003 and is intended to ensure FRM, including seeds, cones, cuttings and plants, is clearly labelled and identified throughout all stages of production, marketing and sale.
It replaces two previous directives and increases the number of controlled species to 46, including the genus Populus. A new category of FRM, “source identified”, will be introduced which will extend the range of British sites from which FRM can be collected.
Consultation, due to end on November 22, is aimed especially at those who deal regularly with FRM, such as forest seed collectors and forest nurseries.
