1.2.1999 Official Journal of the European Communities L25/27 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 98/96/EC of 14 December 1998 amending, inter alia, as regards unofficial field inspections under Directives 66/400/EEC, 66/401/EEC, 66/402/EEC, 66/403/EEC, 69/208/EEC, 70/457/EEC and 70/458/EEC on the marketing of beet seed, fodder plant seed, cereal seed, seed potatoes, seed of oil and fibre plants and vegetable seed and on the common catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant species THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (?), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (3), Whereas, for the reasons given below, the following Directives on the marketing of seed and propagating material should be amended: — Council Directive 66/400/EEC of 14 June 1966 on the marketing of beet seed (*), — Council Directive 66/401/EEC of 14 June 1966 on the marketing of fodder plant seed (%), — Council Directive 66/402/EEC of 14 June 1966 on the marketing of cereal seed (), — Council Directive 66/403/EEC of 14 June 1966 on the marketing of seed potatoes (), — Council Directive 69/208/EEC of 30 June 1969 on the marketing of seed of oil and fibre plants(®), — Council Directive 70/457/EEC of 29 September 1970 on the common catalogue of varieties of agricultural plant species (°), and 1 (') OJ C 289, 24.9.1997, p. 6. (*) OJ C 167, 29.6.1998, p. 302. () OJ C 73, 9.3.1998, p. 45. (*) OJ 125, 11.7.1966, p. 2290/66. Directive as last amended by Directive 98/95/EC (See page 1 of this Official Journal). (°) OJ 125, 11.7.1966, p. 2298/66. Directive as last amended by Directive 98/95/EC. () OJ 125, 11.7.1966, p. 2309/66. Directive as last amended by Directive 98/95/EC. () OJ 125, 11.7.1966, p. 2320/66. Directive as last amended by Directive 98/95/EC. (*) OJ L 169, 10.7.1969, p. 3. Directive as last amended by Directive 98/95/EC. () OJ L 225, 12.10.1970, p. 1. Directive as last amended by Directive 98/95/EC. — Council Directive 70/458/EEC of 29 September 1970 on the marketing of vegetable seed (1%); Whereas ~ Commission  Decision  89/540/EEC  of 22 September 1989 on the organisation of a temporary experiment on the marketing of seeds and propagating material (1), organised a temporary experiment under specified conditions, with the aim of assessing whether unofficial field inspections could ensure simplification of the procedures for official seed certification required under Directives 66/400/EEC, 66/401/EEC, 66/402/EEC and 69/208/EEC without a significant decrease in the quality of the seed; Whereas the results of the experiment have shown that, for certain purposes, there could be a simplification of the procedures for official seed certification of ‘certified seed’ of all categories, if inspections were allowed to be carried out by inspectors other than those charged with official examination by the seed certification authority; Whereas administrative developments have taken place in the Member States; Whereas Directives 66/400/EEC, 66/401/EEC, 66/402/EEC and 69/208/EEC should be amended accordingly; Whereas Directives 66/401/EEC, 66/402/EEC, 69/208/EEC and 70/458/EEC provide for amendments to be made to the lists of species referred to therein in the light of the development of scientific or technical knowledge concerning the names and hybrids resulting from the crossing of species covered by those Directives, in accordance with the Standing Committee procedure; Whereas it is desirable to facilitate the addition of new species to the list of species in the said directives; Whereas those directives should be amended accordingly; Whereas Directives 66/400/EEC, 66/401/EEC, 66/402/EEC, 69/208/EEC and 70/458/EEC provide for (') OJ L 225, 12.10.1970, p. 7. Directive as last amended by Directive 98/95/EC. (") OJ L 286, 4.10.1989, p. 24. Decision as last amended by Commission Decision 96/336/EC (O] L 128, 29.5.1996, p. 23).