Article 22
1. The Council, acting by a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission, shall determine whether: (a) the official examinations of varieties carried out in the third country afford the same assurances as those provided for in Article 7 and carried out in the Member States; (b) the checks on practices for the maintenance of varieties carried out in the third country afford the same assurances as those carried out by the Member States. 2. Paragraph 1 shall also apply in respect of any new Member State from the date of its accession to the date on which it is to bring into force the laws, regulations or administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive.