Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 5218 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM little over three years ago — in autumn 2013 — Italian national authorities reported to us the presence of a bacterium affecting olive trees in Puglia, in Southern Italy, particularly the province of Lecce. The bacterium in question, Xylella fastidiosa, was of course already known to the European scientists since it had caused massive losses to some agricultural crops in other parts of the world. However, it was the first time that the European Union (EU) had been confronted with it on its territory. Unfortunately, today the province of Lecce is almost entirely affected, and the bacterium has also been reported — on a minor scale — in France, Germany and Spain. As European Commissioner in charge of food safety, which includes plant health, I visited the Puglia region on 19 July 2015 since I wanted to see for myself the very serious consequences of that infection. Since this outbreak was first reported, the Commission has been calling on the Italian authorities to strengthen their actions to combat Xylella. Plant health crises are generally not widely covered by the media since it can be years until an outbreak is reported, and its consequences are less visible than health or food crises. However, Xylella is far from benign. As we have seen in Puglia — the heart of olive oil production in Italy — entire economic sectors can be seriously affected. This damages not only the agricultural economy but also has an impact on the traditional landscape of a very touristic region. We saw the same negative economic consequences at the end of the 1990's in Portugal when a major outbreak of pine wood nematode resulted in a significant economic loss for the local timber industry. Another important concern is that Xylella affects a wide range of plants in addition to olive trees, and at this stage there is no treatment once a plant is infected. More generally, plant health is vital for society. Without plant production there would be neither food for humans nor feed for animals since plants form the basis of our food chain. Plants and trees are also a part of the natural environment in which we live, and the landscape we often take for granted. Outbreaks of plant diseases may therefore have devastating effects on our quality of life in addition to the economy. For these reasons, plant health has been one of my priorities since the beginning of the mandate. I have raised this issue not only in Italy but also in numerous meetings with ministers, members of the European Parliament, farmers and industry representatives. It is also why I wholeheartedly welcomed the entry into force, this December, of new European legislation on Plant Health (EU Regulation 2016/2031). This Regulation has been years in the making, involving lengthy negotiations with the European Parliament and EU ministers. However, all the hard work paid off, and the entry into force of this legislation, which overhauls laws that have been in place since 1977, is an important moment for the protection of agriculture, the food chain and the environment in the EU. A cornerstone of the Regulation is the new proactive approach to the early detection and eradication of pests not allowed in EU territory (Union quarantine pests), which aims to prevent such pests from entering from non-EU countries. It is based on the 'prevention is better than cure' principle. In other words, it is better to spend our money, time and energy before or at the beginning of an outbreak, rather than later on when it becomes more expensive and difficult for all involved. NEW LEGISLATION FOR NEW CHALLENGES EU Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis shares his views on battling plant diseases and the importance of plant health. By: Vytenis Andriukaitis EU Commissioner Andriukaitis visiting the infected olive orchards.