6th joint EPPO NAPPO meeting

Puerto Vallerta, MX, 2006-02-23/27

 

For six years, the Standards Panel of NAPPO and the Panel on CPM Affairs of EPPO have been holding a joint annual meeting. This is the opportunity for both Organizations to identify common areas of work and to have fruitful exchanges on issues related to the agenda of the Commission for Phytosanitary Measures. In 2006, this meeting took place in Puerto Vallerta (Mexico), at the kind invitation of the NPPO of Mexico. 


NAPPO and EPPO presented their respective work programmes for 2006. NAPPO presented the Panel assignments for 2006. Explanations were also given on the consequences for NAPPO of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) signed over a year ago to “… develop new avenues of cooperation that will make our open societies safer and more secure, our businesses more competitive, and our economies more resilient.”. NAPPO has been referenced in the SPP as the coordinating body for plant health. As a result, NAPPO has elaborated a number of specific projects to contribute to the SPP.

 

 

 

EPPO informed NAPPO of the standards approved at the Council session in September 2005 and presented standards still under development. The terms of reference and working procedures of the new Panel for PRA were also presented. It was noted that the Panel for PRA shall:

  • Perform pest risk assessment to determine whether specific pests present a significant risk for the PRA area (usually the EPPO region) and to identify the endangered area within that area.
  • Perform pest risk management on these pests by first identifying and evaluating options for phytosanitary measures and then by making a selection within these options in order to provide a significant reduction of the risk of introduction and spread.

 

The programme on phytosanitary procedures was presented, in particular the inspection procedures for consignments of various commodities including strawberry plants, chrysanthemum plants for planting and cut flowers, tomato seeds. The two organizations also exchanged information on their respective invasive species programmes.

 

The group reviewed the CPM agenda and discussed among others the following points:

  • ISPMs to be considered by the ICPM on 2004-03/29-04/02 (Establishment of Pest Free Areas for Fruit Flies (Tephritidae), Diagnostic Protocols for Regulated Pests, Consignments in Transit Phytosanitary, revision of ISPM n°1 Principles and Concepts for the Protection of Plants. NAPPO and EPPO presented their main comments on these drafts.
  • Procedures for the CPM and the SC and SBDS
  • Work programme of the CPM
  • Specifications for new Standards

 

The implementation of ISPM No. 15 (Guidelines for regulating wood packaging material in international trade) in EPPO and NAPPO countries was discussed as well as the issue of debarking. Several topics for future or continuing collaboration were identified (Potato minitubers and microplants, Diagnostic protocols, Electronic certification, risks associated with nursery plants, possibilities to have joint technical panels e.g. phytosanitary treatments).