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 52EUROPEAN-SEED.COM I EUROPEAN SEED I 19 In this respect, the Regulation sets out important new requirements, including: • surveys of the EU territory to detect the presence of Union quarantine pests, • timely notifications of outbreaks by professional operators, • swift eradication activities based on a standardised approach, • multiannual survey programmes, action plans, contingency plans and simulation exercises for priority pests, and • stricter requirements for protected zones. The legislation's proactive approach also applies to plant imports to the EU, so that we prevent the potential damage from allowing or maintaining new trade with unknown phytosanitary risks. In recent years, for example, the EU has been very active on citrus black spot, making imports from countries (South Africa in particular) where the pest has been damaging orange trees, subject to strict conditions. The new Regulation introduces new requirements for confinement facilities and quarantine stations and broadens the scope of regulated commodities that need to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate at import. Plant passports are the documents that accompany plants while moving within the Union and which certify their phytosanitary health status, and a key feature of the new legislation is the harmonisation of the plant passport system. The first EU plant passport with a common format should be available by the end of 2017, making it the first deliverable of this legislation. All new plant passports will have a common format, which will make them more recognisable throughout the EU. Going forward, plant passports will be required for the movement of all plants for planting, (under the current rules, plant passports are only needed for certain ones). This is to ensure the absence of quarantine pests, as well as traceability and transparency for this category of plants. Finally, to ensure the completeness of the new plant health system, the new legislation will, in the next three years, lead to: • the adoption of a new comprehensive list of regulated pests, plants, plant products and other objects; • a list of high risk plants or plant products for which, in the absence of a full risk assessment, a preliminary risk assessment will be enough to ban their import; • a list of priority pests (Union quarantine pests with the most severe potential impacts on the economy, environment and/or society of the EU. They will be subject to enhanced measures involving surveys, action plans for their eradication, contingency plans and simulation exercises), and; • further rules on plant passports. I should point out that the EU action goes beyond the adoption of new rules and documents. It also has a financial dimension, and the Commission is aware that additional financial resources are needed. In that respect, we have foreseen a budget to co-finance pest surveys and emergency measures to eradicate outbreaks. For surveys, a budget of EUR 15 million is foreseen for 2017, EUR 24 million for 2018, EUR 27 million for 2019 and EUR 29 million for 2020. For emergency measures, EUR 20 million will be available annually from 2017 to 2020 (the budget is to be shared with emergency measures for animal health). The fight against plant diseases, pests and a more secure environment depends on the mobilisation of all actors. Member States will be responsible for implementing and enforcing all the measures described above, which will involve a considerable investment in terms of money and human resources. Professional operators will also need to make significant efforts. They need to have a full understanding of the new requirements. They will need the appropriate qualifications to be authorised to issue plant passports, and will need to be responsible for issues such as the timely notification of outbreaks in the areas under their control, traceability requirements and their own registration with the competent authorities. The new Plant Health Regulation will become applicable by the end of 2019. We now have three years of work ahead of us to adopt the most important rules. My message to all involved actors is clear: we live in times when global trade intersects with climate change challenges. Plant pest outbreaks, such as Xylella, should and can be anticipated. We must mobilise ourselves to ensure that the EU is protected from the entry of non- European pests, and better prepared to deal with future outbreaks within our territory. I am convinced that our joint effort will ensure the EU's place as a worldwide reference in the area of plant health. —Vytenis Andriukaitis is EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety since 2014. Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on protective measures against pests of plants: http://eur-lex. europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ TXT/?uri=CELEX:32016R2031 Vytenis Andriukaitis in discussion with olive growers in South Italy. Vytenis Andriukaitis.