On Monday 22 March, the Agriculture Ministers of the EU-27 stressed the need for measures to ensure the proper implementation of EU legislation aimed at preventing the introduction and spread of new plant pests within the Union.
Regulation 2016/2031 on protective measures against plant pests entered into force on 14 December 2019.
The EU ministers discussed ways to improve preparedness to protect the EU against plant pests, including training programmes for professionals. Member States shared their experiences on the establishment of the EU priority list. Several ministers supported the idea of creating an international plant health day.
Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides welcomed the debate, taking stock of the plant legislation that entered into force in 2019 (reference laboratories, stricter import controls, lists of plants at risk and plant diseases). Problems must be identified early on, as the experience with Xylella fastidiosa (olive disease) shows, and we have been able to stop the Asian Capricorn beetle, the Commissioner added.
A discussion took place on the use of biological control agents (macro-organisms) against plant pests. Spain has found the use of these products indispensable, as have France, Italy, Finland, Austria and Germany.
However, some countries (Luxembourg, Hungary, Slovenia) have called for caution in the use of these biological control agents, by carrying out a risk analysis for biodiversity.
Most of the ministers (France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Finland...) advocated an EU-wide harmonisation of rules on biological control agents as an alternative to chemical plant protection products. The need to retain national derogations or flexibility was highlighted by several ministers. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)