The export potential of the Western Balkans to the EU today is high and there are potential areas, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, plant reproductive, fresh meat and animal by products material to develop. Animal health, plant health and food safety issues are considered as a priority in all indicative Strategy Papers. As candidate countries for EU membership, the Western Balkans are going to form part of the EU internal market.

Quarantine plant pests of interest, in particular the EU priority pests, are plant pests which potential economic, environmental or social impact is the most severe in respect of the Union territory, are mostly transboundary in nature and they can spread easily across borders. It can be argued that the EU priority pests are highly transmissible through the movement of plants, their parts and plant products thereof or spread by vectors.

The control of plant Harmful Organism (HO) and especially plant Union Quarantine Pests (UQP) is an essential element with concern to plant health control for EU crops protection. 

The control of plant pests, as the EU experience has shown, can only be dealt with from a regional multi country perspective, but even better if regional programs and measures are closely integrated and based on the same needs assessment. Therefore, plant health legislation is an important part of the EU acquis.