Brussels, 21/12/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 21 December, the European Commission called on Italy to continue to implement Community measures for tackling and eradicating Xylella fastidiosa, a bacteria decimating olive trees in southern Italy.
Several prosecutors in the south of Italy have launched procedures against the scientists and politicians responsible for ordering the culling of thousands of olive trees in the region of Puglia and have called for a halt to the cull. According to these Italian magistrates, nothing has proved that the eradication of these trees will stop the epidemic.
On Monday, the spokesperson for the European Commissioner for Health, Vytenis Andriukaitis, indicated that he would not make any comment on the results of the legal enquiry in Italy but pointed out that Xylella is one of the most serious bacteria in the world affecting plants and had an enormous impact on agriculture. He also explained that the bacteria had again been found in young olive trees displaying symptoms of the disease. Enrico Brivio, Andriukaitis' spokesman, pointed out that “Swift and effective action is needed from the Italian authorities if we want to save healthy trees in Puglia and prevent the spread of the disease to other areas in Italy and the European Union”.
For the time being, nothing would suggest that erroneous data has been transmitted to the Commission, he explained. He also affirmed that an infringement procedure had recently launched against this country regarding Xylella (see EUROPE 11450). The spokesperson repeated that “it is important that European measures are applied by Italy. For example, France, is applying them in Corsica and southern France”.
The implementing decision of 17 December 2015, amending implementing decision 2015/789 on measures to prevent the infection and spread within the Union of Xylella fastidiosa was published in the Official Journal of 19 December. This involves an updating of the current rules dating back to last April. According to Community measures, the country affected must establish an eradication zone in the area in which the disease broke out, as well as buffer zone (which covers at least 10 km around the zone where the affected plants are located). The following measures must be implemented immediately: the identification and scrubbing up of sensitive plants, restrictions on the movements of plants and high-level official monitoring. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)