18th Meeting of the Panel on Quarantine Pests for Forestry

Valsaín (Segovia, Spain), 2013-03-05/07

 

 

The Panel discussed PRAs recently conducted by EPPO Expert Working Groups on Polygraphus proximus and Agrilus planipennis.The Panel studied country comments on the 4th draft PM 9 Standard on National Regulatory Control System for Official control of Agrilus planipennis, modified it accordingly and proposed that it should be presented to the EPPO Working Party for Phytosanitary Regulations for approval. The Panel also examined all country comments on the 2nd drafts PM 9 Standards on National Regulatory Control System for Official control of Anoplophora chinensis and Anoplophora glabripennis, modified them accordingly and proposed that they should be presented to the EPPO Working Party for Phytosanitary Regulations for approval.

 

The Panel discussed the EPPO Standard PM 8/2 Commodity-specific phytosanitary measures for Coniferae which had been adopted in 2009 and decided that a revision of this Standard was needed.

 

The Panel considered pests of forestry concern in the EPPO Alert List and recommended deleting Aproceros leucopoda, Enaphalodes rufulus, Halyomorpha halys, Chalara fraxinea and Pseudomonas syringae pv. aesculi from the Alert List. It also recommended conducting a PRA or express-PRA for Xylosandrus crassiusculus.

 

The Panel discussed the use of biological control agents against invasive forest pests and considered its possible involvement in this issue. The Panel agreed that research in this field was very important and that EPPO should consider possibilities to stimulate such research. The Panel believed that it was important to keep this issue on its agenda.

 

The Panel agreed with the EPPO proposal to hold an Expert Working Group meeting on the problem of “chipping” as a phytosanitary measure and “wood chips” as a commodity associated with phytosanitary risk.

 

The Panel thanked the hosts from Spain for the excellent organization of the meeting and their hospitality.

 

 

All pictures were kindly provided by Ms Bassova and Mr Czoka – View more pictures