Expert Working Group for the RNQP Project – ‘Ornamental species’ Sector

Paris, 2017-09-12/15

 

 

In the context of Regulation 2016/2031 of 26 October 2016 on protective measures against pests of plants, and its list of pests to be published in an implementing act in the following 3 years, EPPO has contracted a 2-year project with the EU Commission on Regulated Non-Quarantine Pests (RNQPs).
RNQPs are defined in two International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM 16: Regulated non-quarantine pests: concept and application and ISPM 21: Pest risk analysis for regulated non-quarantine pests). More specifically article 36 of EU Regulation 2016/2031 defines RNQPs as pests with a clear taxonomic identity, present in the European Union territory, transmitted mainly through specific plants for planting, whose presence has an unacceptable economic impact as regards the intended use, and where feasible and effective measures are available. Article 37 of EU Regulation 2016/2031 regulates RNQPs for professional operators.
The pests/entries that may fulfill that definition, and for which the specification requires the assessment of the relevance of the RNQP status, are those currently listed within the EU Marketing Directives (MDs) on reproductive material, plus some proposed by the Annex Working Group (section 2) of the EU Commission and mainly coming from Annex IIA2 of EU Council Directive 2000/29/EC. 

 

Objective of the project

The objective of this project is to propose a list of RNQPs for the EU. In addition, this list may serve as a basis for other EPPO member countries to establish their own regulations. In order to propose such a list of RNQPs, the work has been divided into two phases:

  • Phase 1: to define a screening methodology
  • Phase 2: to apply the methodology to specific pests

 

 

Participants – more pictures  

 

Current achievement: application of the screening methodology for the ‘Ornamental species’ Sector

As the screening methodology was agreed in 2016 (phase 1), EPPO is now applying it to pests attacking specific crops or groups of crops, with the aim of proposing lists of RNQPs for them (phase 2). Six 'Sector Expert Working Groups' (SEWGs) have been consituted to work on the following crops or groups of crops: 1) seed potatoes; 2) forestry; 3) fruit (including hop and grapevine); 4) agricultural; 5) vegetables and 6) ornamentals.

 

The ‘ornamental’ SEWG met in Paris on 2017-09-12/15. This group is covering the ornamental sector as defined in Council Directive 98/56/EC  and its Implementing Directive 93/49/EEC . The assessment of the RNQP status focused on pests listed in the Marketing Directives, as well as on pests proposed by the Annex Working Group (section 2) of the EU Commission.
All pests currently listed in the Marketing Directive for the ornamental sector (article 3 of Commission Directive 93/49/EEC) require that a plant for planting has to be substantially free from pests, in particular from a defined list of pests. The EU Commission confirmed that this ‘substantially free from’ requirement will be maintained in the Marketing Directives. NPPOs and experts recommended reserving the RNQP status for pest-host combinations where a harmonized approach with the establishment of tolerances and official control programs is absolutely necessary. Therefore, for pests listed in Commission Directive 93/49/EEC, the full methodology is only applied on pests for which there is an evidence or a request submitted in the replies to the RNQP Questionnaire, pointing out the need to maintain this specific pest/host combination listed, and/or pointing out the need to define a specific threshold. All pests currently listed would still be covered in the future by the ‘Substantially free from’ requirement that will remain in the Marketing Directive.


The SEWG agreed a list of RNQPs, as well as recommendations concerning tolerance levels and risk management measures for these pests. In the replies to the RNQP Questionnaire, additional pests were proposed for a RNQP listing for this sector: this would require further evaluation in the coming years by the EU Commission or EPPO.