Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on protective measures against pests of plants

The current EU regulatory framework for plant health aims to protect European agriculture and forestry by preventing the entry and spread of foreign pests. The main tool hereby is Council Directive 2000/29/EC, which also reflects international trade agreements in this area. The EU phytosanitary (plant health) regime is unique in that it is an open regime: movements of plants and plant products into and within the Union are allowed on condition that specific restrictions and requirements are respected (e.g. provenance from a pest free area or appropriate treatment). The high volumes of imports from other continents nevertheless imply a high probability of future outbreaks of foreign pests.

The regime is indispensable for protecting the health, economy and competitiveness of the EU plant production sector as well as for maintaining the Union's open trade policy. However, the existing regulatory framework is being criticised for being unable to stop the increased influx of dangerous new pests caused by globalisation of trade. Moreover climate change enables those pests to survive in Europe, while they could not in the past, and renders crops and ecosystems more vulnerable to new pests. Major outbreaks in the past decade of dangerous import-related pests affecting forestry have raised societal and political awareness of the costs and impacts of inadequate protection.

The present revision aims to overcome these flaws and to put in place a robust, transparent and sustainable regulatory framework that is 'fit for purpose'. The proposed Regulation replaces and repeals Directive 2000/29/EC.

The proposal is part of a package of reviews relating to the health of plants, quality of plant reproductive material, health of animals, official controls concerning plants, animals, food and feed, and Union expenditures for those policies.

EUR-Lex: COM(2013)267: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2013:267:FIN

EUR-Lex: SWD(2013)168: Executive summary of the impact assessment http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2013:168:FIN

EUR-Lex: SWD(2013)169: Impact assessment http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2013:169:FIN

ESO: Background information: Smarter rules for safer food: Commission proposes landmark package to modernise, simplify and strengthen the agri-food chain in Europe http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-smarter-rules-for-safer-food-commission-proposes-landmark-package-to-modernise-simplify-and-strengthen-the-agri-food-chain-in-europe/

---