EPPO Standards

 

General background

As a result of the work undertaken by the different technical bodies of the Organization (e.g. Panels and Working Parties), EPPO prepares Standards covering its two main fields of activities (plant protection products and phytosanitary measures). EPPO Standards are recommendations that are addressed to the NPPOs of EPPO member countries. EPPO Standards are also ‘Regional Standards’ in the sense given by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).

 

In order to ensure international acceptance, draft standards go through an approval procedure, during which all EPPO member countries have the opportunity to express their views. Final decisions are obtained by consensus and EPPO Standards are officially adopted by the EPPO Council. Following approval, EPPO Standards are published in the EPPO Bulletin and can also be retrieved via this website (via links to the EPPO Bulletin website). In addition, they are stored as PDF documents in the EPPO Global Database. All EPPO Standards except PP1 Standards can be obtained free of charge. PP1 Standards are stored in a dedicated database and registration is required to access specific PP1 standards.

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How  and where can I find the latest version of an EPPO Standard? 

 

 

List of EPPO Standards

EPPO Standards have been separated into two main series: PM Standards on phytosanitary measures (covering regulatory measures, treatments, PRA, diagnostics, certification, and safe use of biological control) and PP Standards on plant protection products

 

EPPO Standards on phytosanitary measures

  • PM 1 – General Phytosanitary Measures: recommendations on the use of phytosanitary certificates, the EPPO A1 and A2 Lists of pests recommended for regulation as quarantine pests, and standards on Arthurdendyus triangulatus.
  • PM 2 – Pest-specific Phytosanitary Measures: all Standards in this series (previously called SQRs, Specific Quarantine Requirements) are now withdrawn. 
  • PM 3 – Phytosanitary Procedures: methods to be followed for performing inspections, tests or treatments of commodities moving in trade, or surveys of quarantine pests.
  • PM 4 – Production of Healthy Plants for Planting: steps to be followed for the production of vegetatively propagated planting material whose health status is attested by an official certificate (ornamentals, fruit crops, and potatoes). 
  • PM 5 – Pest Risk Analysis: detailed guidance on the analysis of risk presented by certain pests, in relation to their potential status as quarantine pests or regulated non-quarantine pests. 
  • PM 6 – Safe use of Biological Control: guidelines for assessing and reducing the risks associated with various aspects of the introduction and use of biological control agents and, as appropriate, for comparing them with the benefits in terms of efficacy.
  • PM 7 – Diagnostics: internationally agreed diagnostic protocols for regulated pests and horizontal standards on diagnostic issues.
  • PM 8 – Commodity-specific Phytosanitary Measures: recommendations about phytosanitary measures which should be used or required by EPPO member countries for certain commodities moving in trade to prevent introduction and spread of quarantine pests. 
  • PM 9 – National Regulatory Control Systems: procedures to be followed for official control with the aim of containing and eradicating pests. 
  • PM 10 – Phytosanitary Treatments: methods to be followed for treatments of commodities and treatments of crops for containment or eradication of regulated pests. 

 

EPPO Standards on plant protection products

  • PP 1 – Efficacy Evaluation of Plant Protection Products: Standards on how to evaluate the efficacy of insecticides, acaricides, fungicides, herbicides, plant growth regulators and other products.
  • PP 2 – Good Plant Protection Practice: Standards on optimal practice in protecting specific crops against their pests, including pathogens and weeds.
  • PP 3 – Environmental Risk Assessment of Plant Protection Products: These Standards on the assessment of potential risks of environmental damage which may be caused by the use of plant protection products were withdrawn in 2018. 

 

 

Standards approved by EPPO Council in 2026-09

At its last session (Paris, 2026-09-22/24), the EPPO Council approved the following draft standards. All of them are now in press and will be published in due course in the EPPO Bulletin. They will also be accessible from this website and stored in the EPPO Global Database.

 

EPPO Standards PM 1 – General Phytosanitary Measures

 

Additions to the A1 List (pests absent from the EPPO region)

  • Clavibacter nebraskensis,
  • Harringtonia lauricola and its vector Xyleborus glabratus
  • Litylenchus crenatae

 

Additions to the A2 List (pests locally present in the EPPO region)

  • Senecio angulatus (plant)

 

Transfer from the A2 to the A1 List

  • Stenocarpella macrospora

 

Deletion from the A1 List

  • Strawberry latent C virus (STLCV)
  • Grosmannia wageneri [following changes in taxonomy]

 

Deletion from the A2 List

  • Cacoecimorpha pronubana

 

Changes in taxonomy in the A1 List

  • Grosmannia wageneri is replaced by Leptographium wageneri, L. ponderosum and L. pseudotsugae

 

EPPO Standards PM 3 – Phytosanitary procedures

  • Revision of PM 3/72 General guidelines common to inspection of places of production and consignments
  • Revision of PM 3/73 Compliance procedures for consignments of Fragaria plants for planting
  • PM 3/NEW Post-entry quarantine forVitis

 

The following Standard has been WITHDRAWN:

  • PM 3/34 Barley stripe mosaic Hordeivirus

 

EPPO Standards PM 4 – Production of healthy plants for planting

  • Revision of PM 4/17 Certification scheme for olive trees and rootstocks

 

EPPO Standards PM 7 – Diagnostic protocols for regulated pests

  • Revision of PM 7/129 Generic guidelines for the use of DNA barcoding as an identification tool for a number of regulated pests
  • PM 7/NEW DNA barcoding as an identification tool for a number of regulated arthropods
  • PM 7/NEW DNA barcoding as an identification tool for a number of regulated bacteria
  • PM 7/NEW DNA barcoding as an identification tool for a number of regulated fungi and oomycetes
  • PM 7/NEW DNA barcoding as an identification tool for a number of regulated invasive alien plant species
  • PM 7/NEW DNA barcoding as an identification tool for a number of regulated nematodes

 

The Council was informed that the following diagnostic protocols have been approved following the fast track procedure since the last Council meeting:

  • PM 7/38 Unaspis citri (revision)
  • PM 7/52 Diaphorina citri (revision)
  • PM 7/113 Potexvirus pepini (Pepino mosaic virus) (revision)
  • PM 7/NEW Xanthomonas phaseoli pv. phaseoli and Xanthomonas citri pv. fuscans
  • PM 7/NEW Tobamovirus maculatessellati (tomato mottle mosaic virus)
  • PM 7/NEW Emaravirus rosae (rose rosette virus)

 

EPPO Standards PM 9 – National regulatory control systems

  • PM9/NEW Zizania latifolia

 

 

EPPO Standards PP 1 – Efficacy Evaluation of Plant Protection Products

 

Specific Standards

  • PP 1/NEW Glomerella leaf spot and apple bitter rot on apple
  • PP 1/NEW Weevils on maize and sunflower
  • PP 1/NEW Popillia japonica on grapevine and maize
  • PP 1/NEW Gall mites in black currant, gooseberry and hazelnut
  • PP 1/NEW Efficacy evaluation of herbicides when long-term control of perennial weeds is claimed
  • Revision of PP 1/005 Venturia inaequalis and V. pyrina
  • Revision of PP 1/006 Adoxophyes orana
  • Revision of PP 1/009 Delia radicum on vegetable brassica crops
  • Revision of PP 1/013 Ostrinia nubilalis, Sesamia nonagrioides and Sesamia cretica on maize and withdrawal of PP 1/187 Sesamia nonagrioides on maize
  • Revision of PP 1/015 Tetranychid mites in orchards
  • Revision of PP 1/133 Tetranychid mites in vineyards
  • Revision of PP 1/156 Accelerated ripening of arable oilseed Brassica crops, legumes and sunflower
  • Revision of PP 1/168 Tetranychid and tarsonemid mites on ornamentals
  • Revision of PP 1/192 Mites on strawberry
  • Revision of PP 1/267 Thrips on Allium crops

 

General Standards 

  • PP 1/NEW Principles for conducting efficacy trials for PPP adjuvants to define their field of use
  • Revision of PP 1/207 Effects on succeeding crops
  • Revision of PP 1/225 Minimum effective dose
  • Revision of PP 1/241 Guidance on comparable climates (minor revision)
  • Revision of PP 1/256 Effects on adjacent crops
  • Revision of PP 1/257 Efficacy and crop safety extrapolations for minor uses (minor revision)
  • Revision of PP 1/306 General principles for the development of co-formulated mixtures of PPPs (minor revision)

 

 

Withdrawal of EPPO PP Standards

  • PP 1/187 Sesamia nonagrioides on maize (merged with PP 1/013 (4))

 

 

 

EPPO approval procedure of Standards

 

The flow diagram below summarizes the general approval procedure of EPPO Standards, but more detailed information can be found in a paper ‘Procedure for preparation and approval of EPPO Standards’ published in the EPPO Bulletin in 2019.