page 4 Marketed seed and seedlings shall satisfy the general standards for storing, packaging and labeling laid down by decree. CHAPTER IV INSPECTION OF SEED AND SEEDLINGS Article 13 Produced seed and seedlings shall be subject to inspection by the competent authority to ensure their quality and their phytosanitary status. To that end, and in addition to the measures laid down by the legislation on the protection of plants, the competent authority shall inspect the nurseries and fields and shall carry out laboratory tests to check compliance with the standards for each category of seed and seedlings. Those standards and the inspection procedures shall be laid down by decree. Article 14 The sworn agents of the competent authority designated by the Minister responsible for agriculture shall be empowered to visit all nurseries, propagating plots and premises for processing, storage and marketing in order to carry out the necessary inspection. However, access to living premises effectively reserved for living shall be carried out in accordance with the search procedures laid down by the code of penal procedure. TITLE III NEW PLANT VARIETIES CHAPTER I PROTECTION OF NEW PLANT VARIETIES Article 15 The competent authority shall ensure the protection of new plant varieties where their breeders or successors in title so request. Protection for a new plant variety may be requested by any person of Tunisian nationality, by any foreign person subject to application of the principle of reciprocity. The application for protection shall be filed by the breeder, by his representative or by his successor in title directly with the competent authority or by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. Article 16