Removals from the forest catalogue for pine and oak in Galicia: what nurseries and reforesters must do

Key data

Forest nurseries and reforestation managers in Galicia that worked with certain units of the National Catalogue of Base Materials for Pinus pinaster (maritime pine) and Quercus robur (pedunculate oak) must act now: those units have been officially removed as of 11 March 2026, pursuant to the Resolution of the Dirección General de Biodiversidad, Bosques y Desertificación published in the BOE on 6 April 2026 (BOE-A-2026-7807).

Producing certified forest plants from base materials that are no longer listed in the catalogue constitutes a regulatory breach that may invalidate the genetic traceability of the plant and jeopardise supply contracts for reforestation in the Galician region.

What does this regulation establish?

The National Catalogue of Base Materials is the official register that records the authorised sources — stands, seed orchards, mother plants, clones — from which forest reproductive material can be produced with guarantees of genetic quality and traceability. Only materials produced from units registered in this catalogue may be marketed under the certified categories.

The two categories affected by these removals are:

• Selected: base material that has passed phenotypic quality controls in identified stands or seed orchards.
• Controlled: a more demanding category, involving control of parent plants and additional guarantees regarding the genetic quality of the material produced.

The Resolution of 11 March 2026 publishes the removal of certain units from this catalogue for the species Pinus pinaster and Quercus robur in the territory of Galicia. From that date, those units are no longer valid as an origin for producing certified forest plants in those categories.

The regulation does not create entirely new obligations: it updates the status of the current catalogue, but its practical effects are immediate for those who depended on the removed units.

Economic and operational impact

The impact is not merely administrative. It directly affects the production and supply chain of certified forest plants in Galicia:

• Compromised plant production: any batch of plants produced from base materials that have already been removed cannot be marketed as Selected or Controlled category plants. This may result in the loss of commercial value of batches already in production or in the nursery.
• Supply contracts at risk: supply contracts for plants intended for reforestation that specify a certified category may be breached if the source material is no longer approved.
• Need to find new approved sources: operators must identify alternative units within the current National Catalogue, which may involve search costs, new agreements with seed or vegetative material suppliers, and potential delays in reforestation campaign planning.
• Affected reforestation plans: public authorities and forestry companies that had planned to use plants produced from the removed base materials must review their plans and, where appropriate, adjust schedules or supply sources.

Who is affected?

• Forest nurseries in Galicia that produce Pinus pinaster or Quercus robur plants in the Selected or Controlled categories.
• Forest seed and vegetative material producers operating with units of the National Catalogue in the Galician territory.
• Reforestation managers — forestry companies, community woodlands, public authorities — that contract or plan the use of certified plants of these species in Galicia.
• Forestry companies and woodland owners with reforestation plans that depend on the supply of certified category plants.
• Galician public authorities with reforestation or forest restoration programmes requiring plants of these categories.

Practical example

A Galician forest nursery has in production a batch of Pinus pinaster plants of the Controlled category, produced from a unit of the National Catalogue that is among those removed by this Resolution.

That batch, even if already at an advanced stage of production, cannot be marketed as Controlled category plants because its base material is no longer approved. The nursery has two options: either reclassify the plants to a lower category if the requirements are met (which reduces their commercial value), or absorb the loss of the batch if the required traceability cannot be demonstrated.

Furthermore, if that nursery had a signed supply contract for Controlled Pinus pinaster plants for a reforestation project in Galicia, it will need to renegotiate the contract or urgently find a new approved base material source to produce the committed plants, with the resulting delays and additional costs.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify which catalogue units you currently use: review which base materials you have registered for the production of Pinus pinaster and Quercus robur plants in Galicia and check whether any of them are among those removed in this Resolution.
2. Consult the updated National Catalogue: access the current catalogue through the Dirección General de Biodiversidad, Bosques y Desertificación to identify which alternative approved units are available for these species in Galicia.
3. Review plant batches currently in production: determine whether any batch currently in the nursery has its traceability compromised by the use of removed base materials and assess reclassification or withdrawal options.
4. Review existing supply contracts: analyse whether signed contracts for the supply of certified plants of these species may be affected and, if necessary, inform clients of the situation and renegotiate terms or deadlines.
5. Update reforestation campaign planning: if you plan to use plants of these categories in upcoming campaigns, ensure that the new base material sources are approved before starting production.
6. Document the change of base material source: any change in the base materials used must be properly documented to ensure the traceability required by forest reproductive material regulations.

Official source

View full regulation at the official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, please consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-7807