overview of eu inspection requirements and sampling...

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.


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


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.

Kroeker Phytosanitary Consulting 6

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.


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.


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.


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.


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.




• 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.




• 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.


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


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.


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).


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.




• 16.2 Fruits of Citrus, Fortunella, Poncirus and their


• 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



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)




• 16.3 Fruits of Citrus, Fortunella, Poncirus and their


• 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.




• 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



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.


overview of eu inspection requirements and sampling...

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