Brief history of EPPO

 

 

A few milestones

1951: Creation of EPPO.
The EPPO Convention was signed on the 18^th of April 1951 by 15 member countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany (FRG), Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Yugoslavia). As the Convention was signed by France and the United Kingdom, this led to the adhesion of Algeria, Jersey and Guernsey. EPPO installed its headquarters in Paris, 14 rue du Cardinal Mercier, Paris, 9e. Rooms had kindly been provided by the 'Fédération Nationale des Producteurs de Plants de Pommes de Terre'.

 

1954: The first meeting for phytosanitary inspectors was organized in München, Germany (International Refresher Course for Phytosanitary Inspectors,1954-10-21/26).

 

1955: Council approved to call EPPO: the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization to reflect the importance of the Mediterranean countries within EPPO but the acronym remained the same.

 

1955: EPPO moved to Maison du Danemark, 142 avenue des Champs-Elysées.

 

1956: an opening towards the East was made, Eastern and Central European countries (Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, and USSR) were invited to join EPPO.

 

1961: Fireblight is discovered in England. The discovery of Erwinia amylovora in pears in the south-east of England was of great concern to European and Mediterranean countries.

 

1965 (April): EPPO was homeless. In April 1965, EPPO occupied 2 rooms Quai Voltaire (Maison de l'Agronomie) and several members of the staff had to work at home. In July, temporary premises were found at 15 rue Charles V. Possibilities were explored in Athens, Geneva, Lausanne, Vienna. The Executive Committee visited 5 flats in Paris and decided to buy headquarters in Paris (1 rue Le Nôtre) in January 1968.

 

1965 (June): Council signed the official Headquarters Agreement with the French Government which recognizes a special status of the Organization in France. This Agreement was then ratified by the French Parliament on the 4^th of August 1965.

 

1971: Birth of the EPPO Bulletin as the official journal of the Organization. The journal was first published by the EPPO Secretariat and since 1985 by Blackwell Science, now Wiley.

 

1973: In September 1973, Council approved the principle of the EPPO A1 and A2 Lists. The first approved lists were published in the EPPO Bulletin in 1975.

 

1977: The first set of EPPO Guidelines on the Efficacy Evaluation of Plant Protection Products were published.

 

1978: The first set of EPPO Data Sheets was published in the EPPO Bulletin. The whole series of Data Sheets was then published as a book (Quarantine Pests for Europe) in 1992 and revised in 1997.

 

1984: EPPO bought its first computer (Victor S1).

 

1993: PQR, the EPPO database on the geographical distribution and host plants of quarantine pests was released for the first time.

 

1993: EPPO initiated its activities on Pest Risk Analysis (PRA).

 

1994: The first meeting of the EPPO Panel on CEPM Affairs (now EPPO Panel on Global Phytosanitary Affairs) took place. 

 

1996: EPPO hosted the 8^th Technical Consultation among Regional Plant Protection Organizations in September in Paris. Others TCs were then hosted by EPPO in various places.

 

1998: The first EPPO website was launched.

 

1999: The EPPO Alert List is published for the first time on the EPPO website.

 

2002: EPPO started to work on invasive alien plants.

 

2004: EPPO Council issued its ‘Madeira Declaration’ which then triggered many activities related to diagnostics within EPPO.

 

2010: EPPO headquarters were moved from 1 rue Le Nôtre (16^e, Paris) to 21 boulevard Richard Lenoir (11^e, Paris).

 

2013: the first outbreaks of Xylella fastidiosa in Europe were reported.

 

2014: EPPO Global Database was launched.

 

2014: EPPO started to host Euphresco.

 

2015: EPPO started to host the EU Minor Uses Coordination Facility.

 

2017: A cooperation agreement was signed between EPPO and the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC).

 

 

EPPO Convention 1951

 

 

 

Previous EPPO headquarters (1 rue Le Nôtre, Paris 16^e)
1968 – 2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

EPPO Chairmen

 

Mr H. van Orshoven (1951 - 1956)
Ministère de l'Agriculture,
Bruxelles, Belgium

 

 

Mr A.H. Strickland (1977 - 1982)
Plant Pathology Laboratory,

Harpenden, UK

 

 

Mr Olivier FELIX (2001 – 2006)
Office Fédéral de l'Agriculture, Certification et Protection des Végétaux, Bern, Switzerland

 

 

Ms Karola SCHORN (2016-2021)

Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Bonn, Germany

 

Mr R. Braconnier (1957 - 1964)
Ministère de l'Agriculture,

Paris, France

 

 

Dr H.G. Pag (1983 - 1988)
Bundesministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten, Bonn, Germany

 

 

Mr Ringolds ARNITIS (2007 – 2010)

State Plant Protection Service,
Riga, Latvia

 

 

Mr Michael KURZWEIL (2022-2024)
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry,  Environment and Water Management, Wien, Austria

 

Dr I. Granhall (1965 - 1970)
Statens Växtskyddsanstalt,

Solna, Sweden

 

 

Mr J. Thiault (1989 - 1994)
Ministère de l'Agriculture, Direction Générale de l'Alimentation, Paris, France

 

 

Mr Martin WARD (2011 – 2013)

Fera, York,
United Kingdom

 

 

Mr Lieven VAN HERZELE (since 2025)

Health, Food Chain Safety & Environment - DG APF

Sanitary Policy Plant Health - NPPO, Belgium

 

Mr N. van Tiel (1971 - 1976)
Plant Protection Service,
Wageningen, Netherlands

 

 

Dr R. Petzold (1995 - 2000)
Bundesministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten, Bonn, Germany 

 

 

Mr Ringolds ARNITIS (2014 – 2015)

State Plant Protection Service,
Riga, Latvia

 

 

 

EPPO Vice – Chairmen

 

Mr R. Protin (1951 - 1956)
Ministère de l'Agriculture,

Paris, France

 

 

Dr G.I. Polianov (1977 - 1982)
Plant Protection Service,
Sofia, Bulgaria

 

 

Mr A.S. Vasyutin (2001 – 2003)
State Quarantine Inspection
Service, Moscow, Russia

 

 

Ms N. Sherokolava (2013-2018)

All-Russian Plant Quarantine Centre,
Bykovo, Russia

Dr H. Drees (1957 - 1964)
Bundesministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft
und Forsten, Bonn, Germany

 

 

Dr F. Hargitai (1983 - 1988)
Plant Protection and Agrochemical

Department, Budapest, Hungary

 

 

Mr V.V. Popovich (2004 – 2006)

Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, Moscow, Russia

 

 

Mr A. Chelombitko (2019-2021)

State Service on Food Safety and
Consumer Protection, Kiev, Ukraine

Dr F. Beran (1965 - 1970)
Bundesanstalt für Pflanzenschutz, 

Wien, Austria

 

 

Mr M. Husak (1989 - 1994)
Ministry of Agriculture,
Prague, Czech Republic

 

 

Mr A. Moumen  (2007)

Direction de la Protection des Végétaux et des Contrôles Techniques, Alger, Algeria

 

 

Mr Sultan-Makhmud Sultanov (since 2022)
Agency of Plant Protection and Quarantine, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Dr I. Churayev (1971 - 1976)
Ministry of Agriculture,

Moscow, Russia

 

 

Mr I. Fésüs (1995 - 2000)
Ministry of Agriculture,
Budapest, Hungary

 

 

Mr C. Sao Simao de Carvalho (2008 – 2012)

Direcçao Geral de Agricultura e Desenvolvimento Rural, Lisboa, Portugal

 

 

EPPO Directors General

 

Dr V. Wilkins (1951 - 1960)

 

 

Dr I.M. Smith (1985 – 2005)

 

Mr N. Horn (2019 – 2024)

Dr I. Granhall (1960 - 1964)

 

 

Mr N. van Opstal (2006 – 2010)

 

Ms O. Tikka (from 2025)

 

Dr W.F. Darke (1964 - 1967)

 

 

Mr R. Arnitis (2011-2013)

 

Dr G. Mathys (1967 - 1984)

 

 

Mr M. Ward (2014-2018)

 

 

 

EPPO Assistant Directors

 

Dr L.W.D. Caudri (1953 - 1973)

 

 

Dr D.G. McNamara (1987 – 2002)

 

Dr E. Choppin de Janvry (1974-1975)

 

 

Ms F. Petter (2003-2023)

 

Dr I.M. Smith (1977-1984)

 

 

Dr Valérie Grimault (2023-2025)

 

Ms M. Hanrion (1986-1987)

 

 

 

EPPO Gold Medals

Since 1951, the EPPO Gold Medal was awarded to distinguished personalities in recognition of their outstanding merit in international cooperation in Plant Protection.

View the procedure and criteria for proposing and assessing candidates for the EPPO Gold medal   

 

 

Dr H. Drees (1973)
Bundesministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten, Bonn, Germany
Signatory of the EPPO Convention in 1951, 
Vice-Chairman of EPPO (1957 - 1964), 
Council delegate (1951 - 1973).

 

 

Dr J. Fjelddalen (1981)
Norwegian Plant Protection Institute,
As, Norway
Council delegate (1956 - 1986).

 

 

Dr J.A.J. Veenenbos (1989)
Plant Protection Service, Wageningen, Netherlands
Council delegate (1971 - 1988)

 

 

Dr P. van Halteren (2001)
Plant Protection Service,
Wageningen, Netherlands

 

 

Mr I. McDonell (2015)

Executive Secretary of the North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO)

 

Prof. Dr F. Beran (1976)
Bundesanstalt für Pflanzenschutz (Federal Institute for Plant Protection), Wien, Austria
Signatory of the EPPO Convention in 1951,
Vice-Chairman of EPPO (1965 - 1970)
Council delegate (1951 - 1969)

 

 

Mr A.H. Strickland (1983)
Plant Pathology Laboratory, Harpenden, UK
Chairman of EPPO (1977 - 1982)
Council delegate (1974 - 1982)

 

 

Mr E. Joseph (1993)
Plant Protection Service, Bern, Switzerland
Council delegate (1975 - 1990)

 

 

Mr A.W. Pemberton (2003)

Central  Science Laboratory,
York, United Kingdom

 

 

Mr S. Ashby (2017)

Fera, York, United Kingdom

 

 

Dr N. van Tiel (1976)
Plant Protection Service, Wageningen,
Netherlands
Chairman of EPPO (1971 - 1976), 
Council delegate (1966 - 1982).

 

 

 

Dr G. Mathys (1984)
EPPO Director General (1967 - 1984)

 

 

 

 

Mr J. Thiault (1995)
Ministère de l'Agriculture, DGAL, Paris, France
Chairman of EPPO (1989 - 1994)
Council delegate (1980 - 1994)

 

Dr I.M. Smith (2006)

EPPO Assistant Director (1977 – 1984)

EPPO Director General (1985 – 2005)

 

 

Mr R. Lopian (2023)

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Finland

 

 

Dr I. Churayev (1976)
Ministry of Agriculture, Moscow, Russia
Vice-Chairman of EPPO (1971 - 1976)
Council delegate (1966 - 1979)

 

 

 

 

Dr H. Rønde Kristensen (1988)
State Plant Pathology Institute, Lyngby, Denmark
Council delegate (1977 - 1986)

 

 

 

Dr B. Hopper (1998)
Executive Secretary of the North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO)

 

 

Mr Vereecke (2007)

EU Commission