06/09/2022 (Agence Europe) – France’s control system for the Xylella fastidiosa bacterium is flawed, according to a report by the EU’s Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) published on 31 August. Eradication measures have been applied to outbreaks in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region since 2015 and in the Occitanie region since 2020. “The removal of plants tested positive in 2020 was completed, however with significant delays. The removal of other plants specified by the EU legislation was not completed in the majority of the infected zones, partly due to resource issues”, the report said. Furthermore, according to the experts, the limited controls on the movement of plants in these regions do not adequately take into account the risk of spreading the disease through infected plants. Link to the report: https://aeur.eu/f/2yd (LC)