The National Institute for Agricultural Quality Control (NIAQC) is a national authority, financed from the state budget, functioning as the legal successor of a number of institutes which existed over the last century and were involved with quality control and certification. As a national designated authority, the NIAQC is responsible for the state registration of plant varieties and animal breeds (which are then included in national variety lists), with the examination, quality control, certification and official supervision of seed and reproductive materials, and with activities connected with animal breeding and feed quality. The NIAQC represents Hungary in intergovernmental and independent international organisations, issues international certificates of origin and certifies those received from abroad, and participates in the Hungarian and international development of methods and analytical techniques.