16 December 2024. In the third year of implementing our Plant Health Western Balkan project (PHWB), and with the strong commitment of its beneficiaries, the main objective of this project is nearly achieved: improving plant health in the Western Balkans by enhancing the capacity of Plant Health Services and promoting cooperation between Animal and Plant Health Services. The activities implemented have resulted in strengthened surveillance, improved cross-border collaboration, and enhanced preparedness for outbreak management.

Many of the quarantine pests we combat are invisible to the naked eye. Moreover, the vast majority of these pests are present on other continents but are absent in Europe. Thanks to the hard work of Plant Protection Services and their sophisticated methods for detecting quarantine pests in imported consignments of plants and plant goods at borders, European territory is provisionally protected against devastating plant pests. However, many pathways of introduction remain insufficiently addressed, such as internet trade, passengers’ luggage, and new commodities arriving from non-European countries.

Targeted and risk-based surveillance of the territory, through visual inspections and testing in plant health laboratories, can still eradicate initial incursions and detections within EU territory. However, the phytosanitary measures to limit the spread of certain regulated pests place significant demands on both growers and citizens. For example, a decade of outbreak management in Italy has been required to combat the Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica), which destroys grasslands, crops, and trees, and the deadly bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, which infects and devastates olive trees, grapevines, and hundreds of other fruit and ornamental plant species. Containment measures for the pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) have been in place in Portugal for 25 years, successfully eradicating initial findings in Spain and preventing the spread of this pine wilt nematode to other Member States.

The spread of quarantine pests could cause enormous damage to crops, forests, parks, and other vegetation, resulting in losses measured in billions of euros. Much like the hard work of Plant Protection Organizations, which often goes unnoticed by the public, the absence of quarantine pests is their greatest success. The invaluable contributions of the phytosanitary community have been made possible in part by the intergovernmental agreement that established the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) in 1951.

EPPO is responsible for fostering cooperation in plant protection among state authorities in the European and Mediterranean regions. It plays a crucial role in setting standards and providing guidelines for plant health, including pest management through phytosanitary regulations, diagnostic protocols, certification schemes, pest risk analysis, early warning systems, and many other technical aspects. The EPPO Global Database serves as a worldwide official reference for pest taxonomy, distribution, and host plant relationships. EPPO codes and standards are integrated into the legal and information systems of the European Union and are widely utilized in EFSA survey cards, survey toolkits, and risk assessments.

European phytosanitary officials, inspectors, and laboratory experts collaborate in numerous EPPO Panels and Working Groups focused on specific areas of plant protection, such as pest risk analysis, diagnostics, and phytosanitary measures. EPPO is governed by a Council composed of representatives from its member countries, which meets annually to discuss and approve the work program and budget.

In September 2024, the EPPO Council agreed to a draft Strategic Plan for the period 2026 to 2030 and elected a new Director General. The current Director General, Mr. Nico Horn, led a survey on the current Work Plan and a workshop that highlighted key building blocks for future discussions. These discussions will take place in various EPPO bodies under the leadership of the new Director General, Ms. Olga Lavrentjeva. The ultimate goal is to present the new Strategic Plan for approval to the EPPO Council in September 2025.

Some preliminary conclusions highlighted that the current strategic framework provides an excellent foundation for future discussions. However, further efforts are needed to better distinguish between objectives (purpose) and implementation processes. Additionally, several recurring themes were identified as priorities for further attention, including the effective use of new technologies, contributions to capacity building, and enhanced engagement with all member countries in EPPO’s work.

The WB6 countries are encouraged to actively participate in discussions to improve the Strategic Plan and Work Plan for 2021–2025 (adopted by the Council in September 2020) in preparation for the next period. Results from the questionnaire emphasize the importance of technical cooperation and the need for continuous support in addressing the challenges posed by the emergence of new non-native plant pests in Europe.