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edomero.defra.gov.uk
The faster, more efficient way to Plant Health services.

Legislation

Council Directive 2000/29/EC sets out the restrictions and protective measures which aim to protect plant health within the Community.

External resources

International Standards

International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs)

Plant Health

There are many plant pests and diseases, which if they were to become established in Great Britain, could cause serious damage to our crops and plants. Official controls and restrictions on the import, movement and keeping of plants, plant pests and other material (e.g. soil) are vital to help prevent the introduction and spread of harmful organisms.

Protecting plant health is a shared responsibility between Government, growers, traders and the general public. There are two main elements to plant health. Quarantine measures are taken to keep foreign pests out of areas where they could cause damage to crops, trees and wild plants. Measures are based on a scientific assessment of the risks. They may include rules restricting import and movement of plants and plant produce, or specifying treatments or inspections which have to be carried out. Surveys and publicity increase the chance that outbreaks are detected early while they can still be eradicated. Certification ensures that high quality planting material, substantially free from plant pests and diseases, is available to growers. For example all seed potatoes sold in the UK are certified.

Fera's Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate (PHSI) is responsible for implementing the plant health Regulations in England and Wales, on behalf of Defra and the Welsh Government. The Scottish Government is responsible for implementation in Scotland. Separate but similar arrangements apply in Northern Ireland.

Fera's PHSI, together with the devolved administrations and the Forestry Commission (FC) forms the UK Plant Health Service and works with other EC Member States and the European Commission to agree appropriate plant health rules for Europe and co-ordinate their implementation. A range of services are available to help growers, traders and the general public meet their obligations under these plant health rules.

Please note that Defra is responsible for policy relating to tree and plant health matters. Questions relating to issues of policy in these areas should be directed to Defra.

What's new

20 May 2013 - Comments sought on a new Rapid Assessment for Cryphonectria parasitica (Chestnut blight).

25 April 2013 - Update: Investigation into suspect ring rot outbreak.

17 April 2013 - Comments sought on EU proposal for Dryocosmus kuriphilus (Oriental chestnut gall wasp)

11 April 2013 - Comments sought on a new Rapid Assessment for Ceratocystis platani (Plane wilt)

10 April 2013 - Comments sought on EU proposal to deregulate Monilinia fructicola.

6 April 2013 - The Plant Health (Fees) (England) Regulations 2013 and The Plant Health (Export Certification) (England) (Amendment) Order 2013 come into force. The Statutory Instruments laid before Parliament on 7 March and 14 March respectively to introduce new fees for statutory plant health services came into effect. Details of the new fees payable from 6 April are available here.

21 March 2013 - Comments sought on new rapid assessments for Aromia bungii (the peach red-necked longhorn, plum and peach longhorn or red-necked longhorn beetle) and European mountain ash ringspot associated virus (EMARAV)

20 March 2013 - The Plant Health Guide for Importers and Plant Health Guide to Plant Passporting and Marketing Requirements have been updated.

15 March 2013 - Russian Federation ban on imports from EU Countries from the 1st June 2013.

As a result of a disagreement with the EU Commission on the implementation of International Standards for phytosanitary measures, the Russian Federation have informed the Commission that from 1st June 2013, they intend to introduce a temporary ban on the import from EU countries of seed potatoes, ware potatoes, horticultural planting material, (including seed), and decorative plant/forest material. The ban is subject to ongoing negotiations between the Russian Federation and the EU Commission.

If you have any questions regarding this ban please contact .

6 February 2013 - Update: Investigation into suspect ring rot outbreak.

4 February 2013 - Comments sought on new rapid assessments for Dialeuropora decempuncta (Breadfruit whitefly) and Phenacoccus solenopsis (Cotton mealybug)

23 January 2013 - To help importers understand the new requirements for notification of tree imports a list of questions and answers has been published by Defra.

18 January 2013 - Fera is investigating a suspect outbreak of potato ring rot in the East of England. Click here for more details.

17 January 2013 - The Plant Health (England) (Amendment) Order 2013 comes into force
Statutory notification requirements concerning the import of specified genera of trees: Platanus (Plane), Quercus (Oak), Castanea (Sweet chestnut) and Fraxinus (Ash) came into effect on 17 January 2013. These changes will help to protect the UK's plant health status, by strengthening measures already in place in relation to imports of trees. Initially the new requirements apply in England only, where the vast majority of imports take place, but there is close liaison with Devolved Administrations who are considering their positions. Details of the notification requirements can be found in the letter sent by Defra to importers and trade associations on 17 January.

4 January 2013 - Fera has confirmed the presence of ring rot in ware potatoes imported from Poland and processed in Wales. Click here for more details.

2 January 2013 - Comments sought on new rapid assessments for Anthonomus eugenii (Pepper weevil), Ophiomia kwansonis (Day lilly leafminer) and Tobacco mild green mosaic virus

14 December 2012 - The Plant Health (England) (Amendment) Order 2012 comes into force
This Order amends the Plant Health (England) Order 2005 to include measures to prevent the introduction and spread of Chalara fraxinea.

7 December 2012 - The Plant Health (England) (Amendment) (No.2) Order 2012 comes into force
This Order amends the Plant Health (England) Order 2005 in requiring potatoes originating from Poland and imported into England to be accompanied by an official certificate confirming that the potatoes have been found to be free from Clavibacter michiganensis ssp sepedonicus (Ring rot) in official laboratory tests. It also introduces notification requirements for ware potatoes imported from Romania, Spain and Portugal. Existing notification requirements are retained for seed potatoes imported from any source.

7 December 2012 - Outcome of the consultation on Chalara fraxinea is now live

6 December 2012 - Notification letter about the import of potatoes:

22 November 2012 - Information about sourcing ware potatoes from other EU member states or from outside Europe, in response to current supply difficulties:

30 October 2012 - The Defra Technical Review of the Phytophthora Programme is now live
(See useful information and further reading)

4 October 2012 - Government considers ban on ash tree movements:

2 October 2012 - New European Commission emergency measures against Pomacea (including the Island apple snail):

2 October 2012 - Comments sought on new risk assessments for Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Pine Processionary Moth, PPM) and Helicotylenchus dihystera

31 August 2012 - Comments sought on new risk assessment for Chalara fraxinea (Ash dieback)

10 August 2012 - UK Diabrotica survey report 2011

31 July 2012 - Outcome of the review of plant health policy on Liriomyza spp.

26 July 2012 - 2012 Country Consultation on draft International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs)

19 July 2012 - PRESS RELEASE: Public urged to look out for exotic beetle pest of trees

10 July 2012 - Comments sought on new rapid assessments for Peronospora belbahrii, Contarinia maculipennis and Conogethes punctiferalis

29 June 2012 - Comments sought on new pest risk assessment for Phytophthora austrocedrae

25 May 2012 - EU measures on Epitrix have now been published

17 May 2012 - We are pleased to announce the launch of two new Phytophthora videos

6 April 2012 - The Plant Health (Fees) (England) Regulations 2012 come into force

On Friday 6 April 2012 the Statutory Instrument laid before Parliament on 12 March 2012 to introduce new fees for the five statutory plant health services of Import inspections for plant health controlled material from non-European Union countries, Import inspections on potatoes imported from Egypt, Plant health licensing services, Plant health passporting services and Seed potato certification service came into effect.

The phased increases in fees will roll out over three years, with 50% of the gap between current statutory income and the current full cost of service provision being closed in 2012 and the remainder by 2014.

Details of the new fees payable from 6 April for each of the five statutory plant health services are available here

30 March 2012 - New European Commission emergency measures against the Citrus longhorn beetle

30 March 2012 - An update about emergency measures to prevent the spread of Epitrix is now availble

28 March 2012 - Asian longhorn beetle outbreak press release

16 March 2012 - Comments sought on new rapid assessment for Stenchaetothrips spinalis

13 March 2012 - Comments sought on new pest risk assessment for Rhagoletis cingulata

13 March 2012 - Comments sought on new rapid assessments for Macchiademus diplopterus and Musotima nitidalis

10 February 2012 - Update to tomato diseases - Tobacco mild green mosaic virus (TMGMV)

9 February 2012 - PRESS RELEASE: New disease identified in native juniper trees in Upper Teesdale

3 February 2012 - Comments sought on new rapid assessments for Ceroplastes rubens, Crenidorsum aroidephagus, Parthenolecanium fletcheri (Fletcher scale, Arborvitae soft scale, Thuja soft scale), Phenacoccus peruvianus (Bougainvillea mealybug)

3 February 2012 - Comments sought on new consultation for Pomacea insularum

23 January 2012 - The Plant Health (Import Inspection Fees)(England)(Amendment) Regulations 2012 apply from 13 February 2012. The regulations implement changes to some fees for trades eligible for reduced import inspection levels following the annual review of the reduced checks system by the European Commission. Details of the change can be found here, and the List of reduced inspection levels is also now available.

8 January 2012 - Comments sought on new Rapid Assessment for Fusarium oxysporum

6 January 2012

Comments sought on new Consultation for Liriomyza spp.

Comments sought on new Rapid Assessment for Drosophila suzukii

5 December 2011 - Those who bring seed potatoes into England and Wales from other EU Member States are reminded that there is a legal obligation to notify such introductions in advance. The information provided facilitates monitoring by the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate for harmful diseases such as ring rot and brown rot and allows tracing in the event of problems. In the event of non-compliance, statutory action is taken reflecting the level of risk resulting from the infringement. Details of the notification system are available here.

29 November 2011 - Comments sought on new Rapid Assessments for Chrysolina coerulans and Acaphylla theae (Pink tea mite)

12 October 2011 - Comments sought on new EPPO Pest Risk Assessment for Agrilus anxius

11 October 2011 - Devon outbreak of Phythophthora lateralis

19 September 2011 - Citrus longhorn beetle finding in Manchester

14 September 2011 - PHSI ISO Accreditation - read details of Fera's accreditation

12 September 2011 - Phytophthora lateralis plant disease factsheet is now live

4 August 2011 - Potato spindle viroid outbreak

15 July 2011 - Testing of selected watercourses for Dickeya spp. in England and Wales (2008-2011)

4 July 2011 - 2011 Country Consultation on draft International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs)

20 June 2011 - Updated list of watercourses designated for Ralstonia solanacearum is now live

14 June 2011 - A new report titled "Assessing the Potential of Using Remote Sensing in Support of Current Phytophthora Work" has been published within the Phytophthora research section

13 June 2011 - Comments sought on new PRA's for Phytophthora pseudosyringae and Phylloxera quercus