Overview of EU inspection requirementsOverview of EU inspection requirements
and sampling techniques with Thai fruits,
cut flowers and vegetables
Göran Kroeker, Sweden
1Kroeker Phytosanitary Consulting
Background to problems of today
• Over the years EU has developed to be an important
export market for Thai producers and traders of
fruits, cut flowers and vegetables.
• Since many years Plant Health authorities in the EU
has complained over to many interception on
imports of fruits, cut flowers and vegetables from imports of fruits, cut flowers and vegetables from
Thailand.
• Through audit missions from the EU Food and
Veterinary Office (FVO), which included experts on
Plant Health, Thai authorities has been encouraged
to strengthen their export inspection for these plant
material.2Kroeker Phytosanitary Consulting
Situation of today
• FVO has again visited Thailand and made it clear
to its authorities that the EU is prepared to take
stricter actions if the situation is not altered to
the better = less consignment coming to the EU
with pests regulated in the EU.with pests regulated in the EU.
• At the same time, EU financial support were
given for training workshops within the fields of
plant health, pesticide residues and microbes,
all within the field of food security.
3Kroeker Phytosanitary Consulting
Workshop on plant health
• The EU structure of legislation with examples
from Plant Health
• What does it mean in practical life
• Harmonized way of working?
• Different needs for plant health protection
• But one internal market
• Requirements on Thai fruits, cut flowers and
vegetables
4Kroeker Phytosanitary Consulting
The EU structure of legislation with
examples from Plant Health 1
• In short and without going to details EU is
working with Regulations, which is giving the
law in all MS without any implementation
process by the MS. There is a tendency to use
Regulations more often today instead of Regulations more often today instead of
Directives.
• Directives has to be implemented by MS and
gives them a certain degree of freedom to
adjust the legal text to their needs as long
common aims are achieved.Kroeker Phytosanitary Consulting 5
The EU structure of legislation with
examples from Plant Health 2
• Directives are used on two levels. Those taken
on Council level, a higher degree of MS
involvement on the political level, for example
the articles of Council Directive 2000/29/EC.the articles of Council Directive 2000/29/EC.
• But also the Commission is using Directives for
example to amend the Annexes to 2000/29.
• Commission Decisions are for example used
for emergency measures.
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What does it mean in practical life
• Well, during the weeks I joined the trainings, I
have noticed that there are expectations on
the EU to act as a State, like if we had the
United States of Europe, but we have not!
• That explains that the EU are still rather late in • That explains that the EU are still rather late in
adopting common guidelines for instance
when it comes to how to perform import
inspections on imports from third countries.
We often then refer to the risk for the own
country, and perhaps not so much for others.
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Different needs for protection, but an
internal free market
• From the map you would certainly understand the
needs for different needs of protection between the
MS.
• This is partly dealt with through the possibility for
MS to require protected zones, that will give them a MS to require protected zones, that will give them a
higher expected phytosanitary security .
• Because of the lack of internal movement inspection
to day, it is on the other hand difficult to adjust the
import requirements for instance to lower risks for
citrus in the north of the EU.
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The EU Plant Health requirements in
practice for the trade from Thailand 1
• The EU requirements for the imports of fruits, cut
flowers and vegetables from Thailand are in line with
the risk for the EU and as I indicated earlier then to
the countries at the highest risks like the
Mediterranean countries.Mediterranean countries.
• This could perhaps be solved by regionalization
according plant health risks, like the protected zones,
but this is probably not solved in the near future.
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The EU Plant Health requirements in
practice for the trade from Thailand 2
• An indication of different priorities amongst
MS are given if you look from where the most
interceptions are coming, from a country in
the south.the south.
• Risks are focused on the commodity and the
possible pests it could be accompanied with.
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Export inspection: sampling and inspection
today and tomorrow? 1
• For the export of fruits, cut flowers and
vegetables, low level risk material, the export
inspection is today done at the airport.
• The number of interceptions indicate that the • The number of interceptions indicate that the
system should be re-analyzed and perhaps
changed. Some 16 commodities has wisely
enough been banned by the Thai Plant
Protection Organization themselves to avoid
that the products would be banned by EU.
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Export inspection: sampling and inspection
today and tomorrow? 2
• The sampling and inspection has also been done,
misunderstanding the basics for sampling: the sampling
unit, to be able to use the Standard on sampling, ISPM 31,
has to be the unit, lot, that the producer delivers to the
packing house, coming from one field. Today normally it is packing house, coming from one field. Today normally it is
mixed with other lots from other producers. It is however
essential that the lot is kept as the unit for inspection
because of its homogeneity! By using the standard today
on the mixed commodity the need is for having a higher
number of samples.
Kroeker Phytosanitary Consulting 13
Export inspection: sampling and inspection
today and tomorrow? 3
• There is a need for producer, packinghouses and
the Thai authority to together discuss what
could be achieved in a short perspective but also
for the future.for the future.
• It is of course not good if lots free from any
harmful organisms at the packing house are
mixed with others with a lower plant health
status, which would mean with the risk of being
stopped at the airport export inspection.
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Examples on the requirements on cut flowers, fruits and
vegetables exported to the EU in Annex IV.A.I 1
• 36.2 Cut flowers of Orchidaceae and fruits of
Momordica and Solanum melongena, originating in
third countries.
• The first option is: originate in a country free from
Thrips palmi, orThrips palmi, or
• immediately prior to their export, have been officially
inspected and found free from the pest.
• Officially means inspection has to be done by DOA
inspectors
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Examples on the requirements on fruits, cut flowers
and vegetables exported to the EU in Annex IV.A.I 2
• 32.2 Cut flowers of Dendranthema, Dianthus, Gypsophila,
and Solidago, and leafy vegetables of Apium graveolens
and Ocimum.
• The pests are the leaf miners Liriomyza sativae and
Amauromyza maculosa
• First option is: country freedom.
• Second option is: immediately prior to their export, have
been officially inspected and found free from the pests.
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Examples on the requirements on fruits, cut flowers
and vegetables exported to the EU in Annex IV.A.I 3
• 45.2 Cut flowers of Aster spp., Eryngium, Gypsophila,
Hypericum, Lisianthus, Rosa, Solidago, Trachelium and leafy
vegetables of Ocimum, originating in non-European
countries.
The pest is Bemisia tabaci (non-Eurpean populations)The pest is Bemisia tabaci (non-Eurpean populations)
• First option: country freedom
• Second option: immediately prior to their export, have
been officially inspected and found free from Bemisia
tabaci (non-European populations).
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Examples on the requirements on fruits
exported to the EU in Annex IV.A.I 4
• 16.1 Fruits of Citrus, Fortunella, Poncirus, and their
hybrids, originating in third countries.
• The fruits shall be free from peduncles and leaves
and the packaging shall bear an appropriate origin
mark.
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Examples on the requirements on fruits
exported to the EU in Annex IV.A.I 5
• 16.2 Fruits of Citrus, Fortunella, Poncirus and their
hybrids, originating in third countries.
• The pest in focus is Xanthomonas campestris all strains
pathogenic to Citrus.
• First option: country freedom accepted by SCPH(18.2)• First option: country freedom accepted by SCPH(18.2)
• Second option: area freedom “ “ “ , or
• Third option: official control and examination regime, no
symptoms of the pest have observed in the field of
production and in its immediate vicinity since the
beginning of the last cycle of vegetation, and
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Examples on the requirements on fruits
exported to the EU in Annex IV.A.I 6 (16.2)
• none of the fruits harvested in the field of production
has shown symptoms of the pest, and
• the fruits have been subjected to treatment such as
sodium orthophenylphenate, mentioned on the PC, and
• the fruits have been packed at premises or dispatching
centres registered for this purposes,
• or any certifications system, recognized as equivalent to
the above provisions in accordance with the acceptance
of the EU Standing Committee on Plant Health (SCPH)
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Examples on the requirements on fruits
exported to the EU in Annex IV.A.I 7
• 16.3 Fruits of Citrus, Fortunella, Poncirus and their
hybrids, originating in third countries.
• Pest of concern: Cercospora angolensis
• First option: country freedom accepted by SCPH, or
• Second option: area freedom “ “ , or• Second option: area freedom “ “ , or
• Third option: no symptoms of the pest have been
observed in the field of production and in its
immediately vicinity since beginning of the last cycle of
vegetation, and none of the fruits harvested in the field
of production has shown, in appropriate official
examination, symptoms of this organism.
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Examples on the requirements on fruits
exported to the EU in Annex IV.A.I 8
• 16.4 Fruits of Citrus … deals with Guignardia citircarpa
• 16.5 Fruits of Citrus …deals with fruit flies Tephritidae
(non-European).
• First option: area freedom, or
• Second option: no signs of the pest have been observed
at the place of production and in its immediately vicinity at the place of production and in its immediately vicinity
since the beginning of the last complete cycle of
vegetation, on official inspection carried out at least
monthly during the three month prior to harvesting, and
none of the fruits harvested at the place of production
has shown, in appropriate official examination, signs of
the relevant organism, or
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Examples on the requirements on fruits
exported to the EU in Annex IV.A.I 8 (16.5)
• c) the fruits have shown, in appropriate official
examination on representative samples, to be free from the
pest in all stages of their development, or
• d) the fruits have been subjected to an appropriate
treatment, or quick freeze treatment, which has been
shown to be efficient against the pest without damaging shown to be efficient against the pest without damaging
the fruit, and where not available, chemical treatment as
far as it is acceptable by the Community legislation.
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