EPPO Panel on Diagnostics in Nematology
Composition (last updated May 2026)
|
BACIC Jasmina (Ms) |
Institut Tamis, Pancevo (RS) |
|
BOZSO Miklos Tibor (Mr) |
Plant Health and Molecular Biology National Reference Laboratory, Budapest (HU) |
|
BUTOV Evgenii (Mr) |
All-Russian Plant Quarantine Center (FGBU “VNIIKR”), Bykovo (RU) |
|
DAHLIN Paul (Mr) |
Agroscope, Wädenswil (CH) |
|
DUDA Karolina (Ms) |
Main Inspectorate of Plant Health and Seed Inspection, Toruń (PL) |
|
GABL Ines (Ms) |
AGES, Institute for Sustainable Plant Production, Vienna (AT) |
|
GROSSI DE SÁ Maíra (Ms) |
European Union Reference Laboratory (EURL) for plant parasitic nematodes |
|
GROZA Mariana (Ms) |
National Phytosanitary Authority - National Phytosanitary Laboratory, Ilfov (RO) |
| GULIYEVA Tamilla (Ms) | Azerbaijan Food Safety İnstitute, Baku (AZ) |
|
HALLMANN Johannes (Mr) |
Julius Kühn-Institut, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Braunschweig (DE) |
|
HAUKELAND Solveig (Ms) |
NIBIO, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Ås (NO) |
|
INÁCIO Maria Lurdes (Ms) |
National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (IVIA, I.P.), Oeiras (PT) |
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JANSE Liliya (Ms) |
Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Sciences, Kiev (UA) |
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MARIETTE Nicolas (Mr) |
Laboratoire National de la Protection des Végétaux, ANSES, Le Rheu (FR) |
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MIKUŠKOVÁ Kateřina (Ms) |
Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture, Olomouc (CZ) |
|
MUNAUT Françoise (Ms) |
European Commission, Brussels (EU) |
|
PERMINAITE Asta (Ms) |
The State Plant Service under the Ministry of Agriculture, Vilnius (LT) |
|
POJE Ivan (Mr) |
Institute for Plant Protection, CCAFRA, Zagreb (HR) |
|
PRIOR Tom James (Mr) |
The Food and Environment Research Agency, York (GB) |
|
ROBERTSON Lee (Mr) |
Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, INIA, Madrid (ES) |
|
SIRCA Sasa (Mr) |
Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Ljubljana (SI) |
|
TROCCOLI Alberto (Mr) |
Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, Bari (IT) |
|
VAN HEESE Evelyn (Ms) |
National Reference Centre, National Plant Protection Organization, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Wageningen (NL) |
|
VESTERGAARD MADSEN Mette (Ms) |
Section for Entomology and Plant Pathology, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Slagelse (DK) |
|
VIAENE Nicole (Ms) |
Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Merelbeke (BE) |
Terms of Reference (as agreed by the Executive Committee in May 2026)
Introduction
A Panel on Quarantine Nematodes was established in 2001 (previously, ad-hoc Panels on Potato Cyst Nematodes and Pine Wood Nematode had been established in 1985 and 1988 respectively). It was renamed the Panel on Diagnostics in Nematology in 2012 as and Terms of Reference were prepared in 2014 on the basis of TORs of other specialized diagnostic Panels. They have been revised in 2017 and in 2026.
Scope
The Panel on Diagnostics in Nematology is established to specifically develop and review pest specific diagnostic Standards on nematodes.
Tasks
The Panel on Diagnostics in Nematology is responsible for the following activities:
Core-activities of the Panel are linked to nematology Diagnostic Standards and include:
- Reviewing the technical content of Diagnostic Standards prepared by individual experts/drafting teams for nematodes.
- Exchanging information on validation of tests.
- Proposing topics for new diagnostic Standards for nematodes.
- Establishing priorities for revision of approved diagnostic Standards for nematodes.
- Reviewing the work programme for preparing diagnostic Standards for nematodes.
- Making suggestions to update/improve the instructions to authors of diagnostic Standards, for consideration by the Panel on Diagnostics and Quality Assurance.
Where appropriate the following Diagnostics Activities may also be conducted:
- Upon request of the EPPO Secretariat reviewing possible comments made at the regional level on IPPC diagnostic protocols for nematodes to advise the Panel of Global Affairs on a regional position on these protocols.
- Comparing the content of adopted IPPC diagnostic protocols for nematodes with the content of the EPPO Diagnostic Standard for the same pest and advising the Panel on Diagnostics and Quality Assurance whether to maintain the EPPO Standard as it is or revise it or withdraw it.
- Consider calls for IPPC diagnostic protocols/nominations.
- Identifying outcomes of research projects (e.g. Euphresco) that could have an impact on the diagnostic Standards.
- Ensuring through the EPPO Secretariat appropriate links with other bodies with activities in the area of diagnostics in nematology for example the EURL, EFSA and other relevant bodies.
- Exchanging information on national initiatives in the field of diagnostics in nematology, on ongoing research and risk assessment conducted.
- Suggesting improvements that could be made to the EPPO Databases on diagnostic expertise and EPPO-Q-bank database and encouraging contributions from members.
- Give feedback from conferences where Panel members participated and raise awareness on future conferences.
- Recommending further work that could be undertaken by EPPO to improve diagnostic activities in the EPPO region, e.g. organization of workshops, conferences or webinars, new databases, general articles on diagnostics.
Additional activities
- Identifying research needs to be communicated to the persons in charge of relevant regional initiatives in this area (e.g. Euphresco).
- Identifying information on emerging pests (i.e. nematodes or pathogens vectored by nematodes) and related diagnostic challenges notifying the EPPO Secretariat of any new nematode pest that should be considered for the Alert List.
- Carrying out specific additional tasks requested by the Working Party on Phytosanitary Regulations or the EPPO Secretariat.
- Reporting to the Working Party on Phytosanitary Regulations on its activities.
Way of Working
- Experts for the Panel are nominated by member countries (or other approved bodies) and appointed by the Executive Committee.
- Panel members are selected on the basis of their expertise and serve in an individual capacity.
- The Panel normally meets about every 18 months. In between these regular meetings it may meet by teleconference, and may hold e-mail consultations to facilitate rapid decision making.
- Reports of meetings are ideally circulated within four weeks as a draft and participants are given two weeks in which to comment. After that the report is finalized.
- The Working Party on Phytosanitary Regulations will be informed of the plans for, progress on, and approval of Standards. The Working Party on Phytosanitary Regulations may decide that some Standards should not be approved via the fast-track procedure. In that case, the Panel submits the draft Standards to the Working Party on Phytosanitary Regulations. The Panel may submit advice and recommendations to the Panel on Diagnostics and Quality Assurance or directly to the Working Party, as appropriate.
- The EPPO Secretariat provides the Chair, the support of a Scientific Officer, a report writer and Administrative support for meetings.