Brussels, 17/12/2015 (Agence Europe) - The three EU institutions, meeting in trialogue on Wednesday 16 December, forged an agreement on the revision of EU plant health rules (see EUROPE 11350 on the Council position).
The aim of the text is to prevent the introduction of harmful organisms, such as Xylella fastidiosa, and better tackle bacteria of this sort which are destroying plants. “The new rules will ensure a robust, transparent and sustainable regulatory framework for plant health focusing on the early detection and eradication of any pests found in EU territory”, said Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis. The rapporteur, Anthea McIntyre (ECR, UK), was pleased that measures had been agreed to “protect our countries from the ravages of pests and diseases, which can potentially destroy whole species of trees, plants and plant products”. The import regime chosen is an open system but it contains two lists: the first for plants barred from entering the EU and the second for those that must comply with specific requirements before being allowed to be imported.
A phytosanitary certificate for imported plants and plant products will have to be held by professional operators and also to clients of postal services and internet clients and passengers importing potentially risky plants in their luggage. Only those private travellers who import small quantities of particular plants would be exempt. The agreement updates compensation rules for growers whose plants have to be destroyed in order to wipe out certain parasites. The text still has to be approved by the Council, the European Parliament agriculture committee and finally by the Parliament in an early second reading. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)