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ANNEX IU.K. CRITERIA FOR THE QUALIFICATION OF PESTS ACCORDING TO THEIR RISK TO THE UNION TERRITORY

SECTION 2U.K. Criteria to identify Union quarantine pests which qualify as a priority pest as referred to in Article 6(1) and (2)

Union quarantine pests shall be considered to have the most severe economic, social or environmental impact in respect of the Union territory if their entry, establishment and spread fulfils one or more of the following points:

(a)

Economic impact: the pest has the potential to cause major losses in terms of the direct and indirect effects referred to in point (4) of Section 1 for plants with a significant economic value in the Union territory.

The plants referred to in the first subparagraph may be trees that are not in production.

(b)

Social impact: the pest has the potential to cause one or more of the following effects:

(i)

a significant employment decrease in the agriculture, horticulture or forestry sector concerned or industries related to those sectors, including tourism and recreation;

(ii)

significant risks to food security or food safety;

(iii)

the disappearance of, or long-term large-scale damage to, important tree species growing or cultivated in the Union territory or tree species of high importance in terms of landscape as well as cultural or historical heritage for the Union.

(c)

Environmental impact: the pest has the potential to cause one or more of the following effects:

(i)

significant effects on biodiversity and ecosystems services, including effects on species and habitats listed under Council Directive 92/43/EEC(1) and Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council(2);

(ii)

significant and long-term increases of the use of plant protection products on the plants concerned;

(iii)

the disappearance of, or long-term large-scale damage to, important tree species growing or cultivated in the Union territory or tree species of high importance in terms of landscape as well as cultural or historical heritage for the Union.

(1)

Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7).

(2)

Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds (OJ L 20, 26.1.2010, p. 7).