Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/789 (repealed)Show full title

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/789

of 18 May 2015

as regards measures to prevent the introduction into and the spread within the Union of Xylella fastidiosa (Wells et al.)

(notified under document C(2015) 3415) (repealed)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Directive 2000/29/EC of 8 May 2000 on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community(1), and in particular the fourth sentence of Article 16(3) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) In view of the audits carried out by the Commission and notifications of new outbreaks by the Italian authorities the measures provided for in Commission Implementing Decision 2014/87/EU(2) should be strengthened.

(2) The European Food Safety Authority (hereinafter ‘the Authority’) published on 6 January 2015 a Scientific Opinion on the risk to plant health posed by Xylella fastidiosa (Wells et al.) (hereinafter ‘the specified organism’) in the EU territory, with the identification and evaluation of risk reduction options(3). That Opinion identified a list of plant species susceptible to the European and non-European isolates of the specified organism. In addition, on 20 March 2015, the Authority published a scientific report on the categorisation of those plants for planting, excluding seeds, according to the risk of introduction of the specified organism. The report categorises the plant species which have been so far confirmed to be susceptible to the European and non-European isolates of the specified organism by natural infection, experimental infection via vector transmission, or unknown type of infection (hereinafter ‘specified plants’). That list is longer than the list set out in Commission Implementing Decision 2014/497/EU(4). Therefore, it is appropriate that this Decision applies to a longer list of species than Implementing Decision 2014/497/EU. However, in order to ensure proportionality some measures should only apply to plant species susceptible to the European isolates of the specified organism (hereinafter ‘host plants’). In this regard, while the EFSA Opinion of 6 January 2015 points to the uncertainty as regards the range of plant species since research is still ongoing, the results of the investigations carried out by the Italian authorities have confirmed the capacity of certain specified plants to be ‘host plants’.

(3) Member States should carry out annual surveys for the presence of the specified organism in their territories and should ensure that professional operators are informed about its potential presence and the measures to be taken.

(4) In order to eradicate the specified organism and prevent its further spread in the rest of the Union, Member States should establish demarcated areas consisting of an infected zone and a buffer zone, and apply eradication measures. In view of the current situation in the South of Italy, the infected zone of the demarcated area established by the Italian authorities should, at least, cover the entire province of Lecce. In order to minimise the risk of the specified organism spreading outside the demarcated area (infected zone), the buffer zone should be 10 km wide.

(5) In cases of isolated occurrences of the specified organism the establishment of a demarcated area should not be required if the specified organism can be eliminated from the plants where it was found to be present. In such cases, immediate action should be taken to ascertain whether other plants have been infected.

(6) Taking into account the epidemiology of the specified organism, and the risk of further spreading in the rest of the Union, the planting in the infected zone of the host plants should be prohibited, except in sites which are physically protected against the introduction of the specified organism by its vectors. This is important also to prevent infection of the host plants by the specified organism within the demarcated area.

(7) In the province of Lecce, the specified organism is already widely established. Where evidence shows that in certain parts of that area the specified organism has been present for more than 2 years and it is no longer possible to eradicate it, the responsible official body should have the possibility to apply containment measures, instead of eradication measures, to protect at least production sites, plants with particular cultural, social or scientific value, as well as the border with the rest of the Union territory. The containment measures should aim to minimise the amount of bacterial inoculum in that area and keep the vector population at the lowest level possible.

(8) In order to ensure effective protection of the rest of the Union territory from the specified organism, taking into account the possible spread of the specified organism by natural and human assisted means other than the movement of the specified plants for planting, it is appropriate to establish a surveillance zone immediately outside the buffer zone surrounding the infected zone of the province of Lecce.

(9) Plants known to be susceptible to the specified organism which have been grown for at least part of their life in a demarcated area or which have been moved through such an area are more likely to have been infected with the specified organism. Movement of those plants should therefore be subject to specific requirements aimed at preventing the further spread of the specified organism. To facilitate the early detection of the potential presence of the specified organism outside the demarcated area, traceability requirements should be set for movement of plants known to be susceptible to the specified organism outside the demarcated areas.

(10) In order to allow a follow up inspection at destination of plants for planting moved out of the demarcated areas, the responsible official body of the place of origin and the responsible official body of the place of destination should be immediately informed by the professional operators of the movement of each lot of the specified plants which have been grown at least part of their lives in a demarcated area.

(11) In order to ensure close monitoring of the movement of plants for planting originating in the demarcated areas and to provide an effective overview of the sites where the phytosanitary risk due to the specified organism is high, the Commission and the Member States should have access to information concerning the production sites located in the demarcated areas. Therefore, Member States should establish and update a list of all sites located in the demarcated areas in their territory in which specified plants have been grown and communicate that list to the Commission and the other Member States. The Commission should make available a compilation of those lists to the Member States.

(12) Official checks should be carried out in order to ensure that specified plants are only moved out of the demarcated areas in accordance with the requirements set out in this Decision.

(13) Taking into account the nature of the specified organism, specified plants originating in a third country where the specified organism is not present should, when introduced into the Union, be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate including an additional declaration stating that that country is free from the specified organism.

(14) In order to ensure that specified plants introduced into the Union from third countries, where the specified organism is known to be present, are free from the specified organism, the requirements for their introduction into the Union should be similar to those set out for movement of specified plants originating in demarcated areas.

(15) Since October 2014, numerous plants for planting, other than seeds, of Coffea, originating in Costa Rica or in Honduras, have been intercepted in the Union with the presence of the specified organism. It is therefore concluded that the phytosanitary certification procedures of Costa Rica or Honduras are insufficient to ensure that consignments of plants of Coffea are free from the specified organism. Consequently, given the high probability of establishment of the specified organism in the Union, the absence of any effective treatment once the specified plants are infected, as well as the major economic consequences for the Union, the introduction into the Union of plants for planting of Coffea, other than seeds, originating in Costa Rica or Honduras should be prohibited.

(16) Implementing Decision 2014/497/EU should be repealed.

(17) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

(1)

OJ L 169, 10.7.2000, p. 1.

(2)

Commission Implementing Decision 2014/87/EU of 13 February 2014 as regards measures to prevent the spread within the Union of Xylella fastidiosa (Well and Raju) (OJ L 45, 15.2.2014, p. 29).

(3)

EFSA PLH Panel (EFSA Panel on Plant Health), 2015. Scientific Opinion on the risks to plant health posed by Xylella fastidiosa in the EU territory, with the identification and evaluation of risk reduction options. EFSA Journal 2015;13(1):3989, 262 pp.

(4)

Commission Implementing Decision 2014/497/EU of 23 July 2014 as regards measures to prevent the introduction into and the spread within the Union of Xylella fastidiosa (Well and Raju) (OJ L 219, 25.7.2014, p. 56).