Nuances:
Laws passed a few years ago now apply, reagarding online sales, but not international sales.
And the Polish websites stopped its online salesdue to these.
Lawyers told me at the main French seed network (Réseaux Semences Paysannes) a few months ago: nearly 100% of online seed sellers are already mostly illegal now, until law enforcement authorities come they continue, knowing or not that legislations have been passed. So yes, as the media said: since 2020 you can sell nearly any seed to anyone, regardless of it being a landrace, a diversified mix, a “not registered” variety or what… (so “that” is true… so “freeeeedom!!!” )… BUT: all seeds sold on the internet must now comply with phytosanitary requirements, which no small seller can afford. That is why some of them now write explicitly that they sell only to “amateurs” or that kind of verbiage to cover their a… you know what:
(see Meraki Seeds page for example, where they write in black and white *"Due to the new EU law on seed regulations with a very complicated approval process, we are obliged to provide the following information:
Note on all my seeds: My seeds are sold expressly to private users as ornamental plant seeds and collector’s items. All information regarding taste, use and ingredients is based on traditional experience and is for general information only. Tomatoes are only considered ornamental fruits and are not officially intended for consumption."*)
So to say: legally, if a judge comes in, they are borderline at least, should have to show phytosanitary passports for each variety, on top of other conditions. By saying “ornemental tomatoes” they hope that they will go through without problems. Someone said “borderline”?
In french it is written in this document of the seed network Réseau Semences Paysannes :
2022-04_Fiche_sanitaire_V3.pdf (6.0 MB)
In summary: if you do not have phytosanitary passport, you can sell in person. No online trade is authorized without this document.
So… that has not been applied yet, - but maybe in some countries or places - but new laws are coming, seeming to make things once again much harder, or borderline, or… just illegal. That is what I have heard of guys like Guy Kastler. So to him he said there was about 4 great battles about seeds head. He is a farmer, and of a combattant kind.
I would like to know more about these…
Please read the intervention of Marcela here: Directory of european seed sellers - #50 by marcela_v It is going the same way.
I believe that overall this topic could lead to a discussion on seed increase and share, networking, at different scales: from local to europe for example. But things similar may apply in other continent. Of that I don’t know.