3rd Meeting of the ad hoc Panel on Plant Protection Information
Paris, 2013-11-05/06
The third meeting of the ad hoc Panel on Plant Protection Information took place at the EPPO headquarters in Paris to explore new communication tools which could be used to widen the EPPO audience and help NPPOs to better communicate on plant health issues.
The Panel continued to discuss how the EPPO poster and leaflet could be displayed in airports/seaports or any other areas where travellers would see them. These documents were prepared to inform international passengers about the risks of introducing pests when transporting plant material from abroad. The Panel recommended that both the 'Don't Rist It' poster and leaflet should be posted on the EPPO website, and that NPPOs should be encouraged to translate them into their national languages.
The Panel also discussed possible topics for future communication actions. It was agreed that pilot projects could be conducted on specific pests such as Agrilus planipennis, citrus greening, and the invasive plant Parthenium hysterophorus. This could involve for example the preparation of small posters or information leaflets, which could be made available on the EPPO website and help NPPOs to prepare their own communication campaigns.
The Panel also reviewed the conclusions and recommendations made by the "EPPO/CoE/IUCN ISSG Workshop on ‘How to communicate on pests and invasive alien plants?" which took place in Oeiras (PT), on 2013-10-08/10. The suggestion to create an EPPO webpage dedicated to successful communication campaigns was agreed by the Panel, and the EPPO Secretariat will ask the NPPOs of its member countries to provide such information.
The Panel reviewed the existing EPPO information services (EPPO Reporting Service, EPPO Bulletin, e-magazines) and databases (EPPT, diagnostic expertise, PP1, PQR,) and was generally satisfied with them. Concerning the EPPO Reporting Service, it was agreed that a short questionnaire should be sent to all readers to better undertand their needs.
The next meeting of the Panel will take place at the EPPO headquarters on 2014-11-04/05.