EPPO/FAO Workshop on ‘Implementation of international and regional standards to ensure phytosanitary safety of international trade with plants for planting’
Tashkent, 2012-04-23/27
The Workshop was held in Russian and English and was attended by more than 50 participants from 20 countries. Thirty presentations were made, followed by questions and discussions. Participants of the Workshop have been provided with the overview on International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), Regional EPPO standards and standard-setting procedure, activities of FAO and EPPO in the field of plant protection, main phytosanitary principles in international trade with plants and plant products.
The new ISPM 36 Integrated measures for plants for planting adopted by the Commission for Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) in 2012 was presented in details. It was stressed that plants for planting are generally considered to pose a higher pest risk than other regulated articles. Integrated measures may be used to manage the pest risks that plants for planting pose as a pathway for regulated pests and to ensure they meet phytosanitary import requirements. The use of integrated measures involves national plant protection organizations (NPPOs) as well as producers, and relies on pest risk management measures applied throughout the production and distribution processes. The NPPO of the exporting country should approve and oversee places of production using integrated measures, as well as issue phytosanitary certificates that attest to the consignment as meeting the phytosanitary requirements of the importing country.
Presentations were given on different aspects of ensuring phytosanitary safety of international trade with plants for planting: production of pest-free planting material and certification schemes for production of healthy plants for planting (EPPO Standards in the series PM 3 & 4), Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) for plants for planting, phytosanitary measures for plants for planting of different kind, phytosanitary inspection and certification of plants for planting, disinfestation of places of production and plants for planting, etc.
Participants from the European Union reported on the use of “plant passport” concept in the practical regulation of movement of plants for planting within EU. Participants from many countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Moldova, Netherlands, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan) presented their national experience in ensuring phytosanitary safety of international trade with plants for planting.
At the final session, the Workshop formulated the following recommendations:
- To recognize that EPPO standards and ISPMs are widely used in the practice of NPPOs and their further implementation is necessary to ensure phytosanitary safety of international trade with plants for planting.
- To recommend EPPO to develop new standards concerning ensuring phytosanitary safety of international trade with plants for planting, in particular on seeds and on regulated non-quarantine pests.
- To recommend EPPO to develop new standards concerning sampling of different types of regulated articles.
- To recommend EPPO to develop a new standard on arbitrary check for dispute cases concerning detection and identification of pests.
- To continue organization of workshops for Russian-speaking experts with participation of English-speaking experts on the implementation of international and regional phytosanitary standards.
- To plan the next workshop in 2013 on “Pest Reporting”.
