toward an harmonized implementation of ispms no. 7...

EPPO/NEPPO Workshop

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Antalya, Turkey 20-22 November 2012

Programme, summaries of presentations and participants list

2 EPPO/NEPPO Workshop Towards an harmonized implementation of ISPMs No. 7 & 12 Antalya (TR), 2012-11-20-22


P r o g r a m m e


EPPO/NEPPO Workshop Toward an harmonized implementation of ISPMs

No. 7 Phytosanitary Certification System and No. 12 Phytosanitary Certificates

Antalya, Turkey

20-22 November 2012

Starting at 9:00 on the 20th of November – Ending at 13:00 on the 22nd of November

Programme

Tuesday, 20th of November 9:00-9:30 Registration of participants

9:30-10:40 9:30-10:00: Opening session

• Welcoming speech by the Turkish Head of Plant Health and Quarantine Department Mr Birisik

• Welcoming speech by EPPO Director-General Mr. Arnitis • Welcoming speech by NEPPO Director-General Mr. Chouibani

General presentations: 10:00-10:20: The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), EPPO and its activities, aims of the workshop by Mr. Arnitis, Director-General of EPPO 10:20-10:40: The Near East Plant Protection Organization (NEPPO) and its activities, by Mr. Chouibani, Director-General of NEPPO

10:40-11:00 Coffee break 11:00-12:30 General presentations:

11:10-11:30: A Review of the Turkish Plant Health Regime in the framework of Turkey-EU Negotiation, by Mr Birisik, Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock, Turkey 11:30-12:00: Basic elements of ISPM No. 12, by Mr. Horn, Plant Protection Service of the Netherlands 12:00-12:30: Presentation of the scope, history, basic elements of ISPMs No. 7 and No. 12 and latest developments of by Mr. Unger, Julius Kühn Institut (JKI), Germany

12:30-14:00 Lunch


Session 1 Exchange of practice and of understanding of ISPMs No. 7 & 12 across countries

14:00-15:00 Presentations: 14:00-14:20: Implementation of ISPMs No.7 and No.12 in France at the national and regional level, by Ms Pacheco, Ministère de l'agriculture, de l'agroalimentaire et de la forêt, France 14:20-14:40: ISPM No. 12: its current worldwide implementation. The Italian experience, by Mr Finelli, Servizio Fitosanitario Regione Emilia-Romagna, Italy 14:40-15:00: Implementation of ISPMs No. 7 & 12 in Russia, by Mr Tryakhov, Eurasian Economic Commission, Russian Federation

15:00-15:20 Coffee break

15:20-17:30 Discussion in two groups on the difficulties related to implementation, in particular:

- Need to clarify the purpose of phytosanitary certificates in issuing export or re-export certificates (1.1 of ISPM No. 12)

- Attachments of phytosanitary certificates (1.3 of ISPM No. 12), - Certified copies of phytosanitary certificates (2.1 of ISPM No. 12), - Replacement of phytosanitary certificates (2.2 of ISPM No. 12), - Alterations of phytosanitary certificates (2.3 of ISPM No. 12) - Issuance of phytosanitary certificates after dispatch (4 of ISPM No.

12).

17:00-17:30 Conclusions in plenary session

Wednesday 21st of November

Session 2 Continuation of exchange of practice and of understanding of ISPMs No. 7 & 12 across countries

9:00-10:00 Presentations: 9:00-9:20: Implementation of ISPMs No. 7 & 12 in Latvia, by Ms Kjago, State Plant Protection Service, Latvia 9:20-9:40: Implementation of ISPMs No. 7 & 12 in Algeria, by Ms Ziouche, Ministry of agriculture of Algeria 9:40-10:00: Implementation of ISPMs No.7 & 12 in the Netherlands, by Mr Horn, Plant Protection Service of the Netherlands


10:20-12:00 Discussion in two groups: - Declared means of conveyance, number and description of packages,

distinguishing marks (5 of ISPM No. 12), - Use of recommended wording for additional declaration (Appendix 2

of ISPM No. 12) - Considerations of re-export situations and transit (6 of ISPM No. 12)


12:00-12:30 Conclusions in plenary session

12:30-14:00 Lunch

14:00-17:30 Technical visit

Thursday, 22nd of November Session 3:

Toward an harmonized implementation and a common understanding of ISPM No. 7 and further developments of ISPM No. 12

9:00-10:00 Presentations: 9:00-9:20: Export certification: a UK perspective, by Mr Kilby, Food & Environment Research Agency, UK 9:20-9:40: Issuing phytosanitary certificates in Switzerland, by Mr von Felten, Swiss Federal Plant Protection Service SPPS 9:40-10:10: Implementation of e-phytosanitary certificates, by Mr Horn, Plant Protection Service of the Netherlands


10:30-12:00 Discussion in two groups: Toward an harmonized implementation and a common understanding of ISPM No. 7:

- Information on importing country phytosanitary requirements (3.2 of ISPM No. 7)

- Technical information (3.3 of ISPM No. 7) - Phytosanitary certificate of re-export (4.2 of ISPM No. 7) - Procedures (4.3 of ISPM No. 7) - Need further detail on which tasks staff should undertake (3.1 and

Appendix 1 of ISPM No. 7) Further developments of ISPM No. 12:

- Development of the Electronic certification, information on standard XML schemes and exchange mechanisms (Appendix 1 of ISPM No. 12)

12:00-13:00 Final conclusions in plenary session

13:00 Close of the workshop


S u m m a r i e s o f p r e s e n t a t i o n s


The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), EPPO and its activities

Mr. Ringolds Arnitis, Director-General of EPPO 21 boulevard Richard Lenoir, Paris, France [email protected] The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) is an international plant health agreement that aims to protect cultivated and wild plants by preventing the introduction and spread of pests. In order to achieve this, countries have rights to take phytosanitary measures. Phytosanitary measures are any legislation, regulation or official procedure having the purpose to prevent the introduction and/or spread of quarantine pests, or to limit the economic impact of regulated non-quarantine pests. It is important that countries base their phytosanitary measures on the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs). ISPMs cover invasive pests of plants, including weeds that cause indirect damage to plants. The standards covering movement of pests apply to vehicles, ships, aircraft, containers, storage places, soil, wood packaging and other objects that could harbour plant pests. ISPMs facilitate safe trade by providing guidance on procedures, regulations and treatments that can be used to manage pest risks associated with the international movement of goods and conveyances. The European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) is a regional standard-setting organization created in 1951. EPPO is one of the 10 Regional Plant Protection Organizations (RPPOs) and is responsible for international cooperation among its 50 member countries. EPPO aims to protect plant health in agriculture, forestry and the uncultivated environment, to develop an international strategy against the introduction and spread of pests (including invasive alien plants) that damage cultivated and wild plants, in natural and agricultural ecosystems, to encourage harmonization of phytosanitary regulations and all other areas of official plant protection action, to promote the use of modern, safe, and effective pest control methods as well as to provide a documentation service on plant protection. In order to achieve these tasks EPPO established early warning systems to identify emerging risks and maintain a database on quarantine pests (PQR), carry out Pest Risk Analysis to evaluate potential risks, issue recommendations for regulation (EPPO A1 and A2 Lists) and prepare regional standards (e.g. official control standards, diagnostic protocols, inspection procedures, good plant protection practice, etc.). By gathering and disseminating information EPPO ensures that new data on biology, host plants, diagnostic methods and geographical distribution of quarantine pests and pests of potential quarantine importance are available in the member countries. This includes interception reports, additions to the EPPO Alert List, etc. EPPO’s technical activities are directed by two Working Parties (on Phytosanitary Regulations, and on Plant Protection Products). They assign specific tasks to Panels, composed of specialists from member countries nominated as individuals, which prepare detailed draft standards for the Working Parties. Every year, up to 25 Panel meetings are held throughout the region of which 3 are dedicated to IPPC issues. EPPO takes an active role in the elaboration of the ISPMs by submitting proposals for new topics, making comments on draft ISPMs and promoting implementation of the ISPMs in the EPPO member countries.


The Near East Plant Protection Organization (NEPPO) and its activities

Mr. Mekki Chouibani, Director-General of NEPPO Avenue Hadj AHmed Cherkaoui. Agdal, 10090, Rabat, Morocco [email protected] The Near East Plant Protection Organization (NEPPO) is the 10th Regional Plant Protection Organization, recognized formally on the 23rd of March 2012 by the 7th Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM). Since it entered into force on 2009, NEPPO has managed to establish a sound structure, adopted rules and procedures, and established a Secretariat based in Morocco. Ten countries are currently members: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria and Tunisia. Iran, Mauritania and Yemen have signed the NEPPO convention but not yet ratified. The objectives of NEPPO shall be primarily to promote international cooperation in the region by strengthening plant protection activities and capabilities with the aim of:

− Controlling pests of plants and plant products in an appropriate manner; − Preventing the introduction and spread of pests; − Facilitating safe trade.

NEPPO activities until now were focused on: Administrative activities:

− Recognition of NEPPO as a Regional Plant Protection Organization under the IPPC ; − Elaboration of the Headquarter Agreement between the Organization and the host

country (Morocco); − Elaboration of NEPPO staff regulation and financial rules;

Technical activities: − Elaboration of a strategic framework from 2012 to 2020; − Organization jointly with EPPO, the International Organisation for Biological and

Integrated Control of Noxious Animals and Plants (IOBC), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) the International symposium on management of Tuta absoluta in Agadir in 2011;

− Contribution to the preparation of the draft regulation in plant protection product registration for African countries with the Inter-African Phytosanitary Council (IAPSC);

− Organization jointly with FAO, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and ONSSA (Moroccan NPPO) of a training workshop on good preparation of monitoring program;

− Organization jointly with EPPO and the Algerian Directorate of plant protection and technical control of a workshop on surveillance;

− Organization jointly with FAO, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), IOBC, the Tunisian Directorate General of plant protection and technical control and the Association de la Protection des Plantes Tunisienne of a regional workshop on fruit flies.

Exchange of information: NEPPO tries to provide member countries with useful and relevant information.


A Review of the Turkish Plant Health Regime in the framework of Turkey-EU Negotiation Mr. Nevzat Birisik, Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock General Directorate of Food and Control. Eskişehir yolu. 9 km. Yeni bina kat 7. Çankaya. Ankara, Turkey [email protected] The Plant Health regime has been a very important component of the Turkish agricultural policy, and many regulations were issued just after the establishment of the Turkish republic in 1923. Since the EU Council adopted the European Commission’s Accession Negotiations Framework for Turkey on the 3rd of October 2005, Turkey has been working on adopting EU policies related to Plant Health. After starting to negotiate with the EU, Turkey revised its Plant Health regime. The main objectives of the new Turkish Plant Health regime are: to prevent the entry of any harmful organism into the country by any type of international trade and product; to avoid the establishment of any pest that enters the country; to prevent the spread of harmful organisms inside the country; to protect any other countries from harmful organisms by inspecting plants & plant products subjected to export. The EU Plant Health regime is edited under EU acquis in chapter 12 as Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary Policy. Many studies were undertaken by Turkey to transpose the EU regulations and strategies for the implementation and enforcement of the EU acquis on chapter 12, based on the actual acquis adopted by the EU commission. The EU Regulation on Plant Health contains 4 Chapters and 104 legislations. During the harmonization process, the Republic of Turkey issued the Law No. 5996 on ‘Veterinary Services, Plant Health Food and Feed’ which entered into force in 2010. The legislative alignment on the basis of the Strategy and Law No. 5996 is mostly completed. After issuing the Law No. 5996, secondary legislations were published. In 2011, 98 secondary legislations have been transposed. For 2012, 72 secondary legislations are planned to be transposed. After the publication of these regulations, the Turkish Plant Health regime will be mostly harmonized with EU regulations.


Basic elements of ISPM No. 12

Mr Nico Horn, Plant Protection Service Geertjesweg 15 Postbus 9102, 6700 HC Wageningen, the Netherlands [email protected] In the revision of ISPM No. 12, which was adopted last year, a number of elements were adjusted to changes in trade over the past years. Other elements were not changed because they were still valid and workable. An element that remained unchanged was the certificate itself because this is also part of the convention and can therefore not be changed by ISPM No. 12. Other unchanged elements include the use of alterations, replacements, certified copies and the use of attachments. Attachments should only be used when the certificate has insufficient space for the information to be included. This implicitly indicates that other documents, for example fumigation reports, should not be attached, this can be indicated in the treatment section of the certificate. The only other situation where attachments are used is the certificate of the country of origin in case of issuance of a certificate of re-export. The element ‘declared means of conveyance’ was changed due to changes in trade. Indeed, nowadays a lot of trade is with containers and means of conveyance are regularly changed during transport. It is therefore not appropriate to issue a new certificate each time and it was accepted that the first means of conveyance is stated on the certificate. This is then not necessarily the means of conveyance with which the consignments arrives in the country of import. A new element is the standardized additional declarations (ADs). This was introduced because there is a large variety of the way in which ADs are worded. Often tens of different wordings are in use for the same guarantee declared. Standardized wording will not change the use of ADs immediately, but it may contribute to harmonization, which is also very helpful for re-export. The issuance of certificates after dispatch may be necessary in certain cases but should be restricted.


Presentation of the scope, history and latest developments of ISPMs No. 7 and 12 Mr Jens-Georg Unger, Julius Kühn Institut (JKI) Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for National and International Plant Health Messeweg 11/12, 38104 Braunschweig, Germany [email protected] Export certification systems and phytosanitary certificates have been core elements of NPPO activities and the IPPC from the very beginning. Already in 1997, before the revision of the IPPC, ISPM No. 7 was developed and endorsed by the FAO Conference and in 2001 ISPM No. 12 was one of the first standards adopted by the Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM). Since then, experience has been gained with the implementation of these standards, in particular as global trade has developed and means of conveyances have diversified. The need for revision of these 2 ISPMs was already identified by the CPM in 2006 and the related specification for the work required was adopted by the Standards Committee in that year. Only 3 specific topics were mentioned in the specification, which were: procedures related to re-export of consignments, the identification of the place of origin of commodities in certificates, and the structure and overlaps of both ISPMs. However, during the preparation of the expert working group, a number of new topics were proposed for inclusion in the review, showing that the conditions and needs of trade and related phytosanitary procedures have developed fast. In particular, a new mechanism was requested by the seed industry and some countries for the provision of phytosanitary declaration for consignments for re-export purposes in cases where the first country of import does not require such a declaration or phytosanitary certificate (PC). Also the huge but unnecessary diversity of additional declarations, the procedures related to the replacement of a phytosanitary certificate (PC) and the need for clarification of systems related to electronic certification were considered to be critical topics. New elements related to these topics were finally agreed in the adoption of these ISPMs in 2011. The aim of this workshop is to reflect daily practice and to share experience of NPPOs of EPPO and NEPPO countries regarding in particular the new elements of ISPM No. 7 & 12. If necessary, the workshop may provide further guidance or recommendations for procedures related to PC in the EPPO and NEPPO regions.


Implementation of ISPMs No. 7 and No. 12 in France at the national and regional level Ms Clara Pacheco, Ministère de l'agriculture, de l'agroalimentaire et de la forêt 251 rue de Vaugirard, 75732 Paris Cedex, France [email protected] The methodology for the integration of the revised ISPM No. 7 and No. 12 in the French national instructions for export certification is described in this presentation. It consisted of a call for tender to regional services for a working group, the approval of the candidates and the designation of a coordinator. After several meetings, the coordinator assembled all the comments and prepared the draft instruction. Several methods need to be described, the certification method which is based on specific inspection methods for lots, companies and in the field. Also, a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) was identified. Export certification is an activity under accreditation in France according to ISO 17020, enabling the traceability of actions such as inspection, sampling, laboratory analyses results and treatment. Accreditation requires inspection methods to be described and harmonized. At the regional level, the inspectors in charge of implementing the instructions schedule, their inspections for the exporting sectors of production that are known to exporters. The method for phytosanitary export certification describes the competence and responsibility of inspectors, traceability, validity, copies, replacement. The procedure to deliver a phytosanitary certificate (PC), from the time of exporter request up to the delivery or refusal, is detailed. It defines the cases where the request is not acceptable, the documentary inspection, the technical inspection, the record keeping leading to issuance of the PC. Instructions are given on how to complete the PC. The delivery of a re-export certificate is detailed as well as the procedure for transit and the use of a communication document prior to export. Training once or twice a year is part of the export system in order to ensure technical qualification and skills of the personnel.


ISPM No. 12: its current worldwide implementation. The Italian experience Mr. Franco Finelli and Paolo Solmi, Servizio Fitosanitario Regione Emilia-Romagna P.O. “Pianificazione dei controlli fitosanitari in relazione alle normative internazionali” Via di Saliceto 81, 40128 Bologna, Italy [email protected] Traditionally, Italy is one of the major exporters of agricultural products (both fresh and processed). Every year many thousands of Phytosanitary Certificates (PCs) are issued from the different Italian regions, addressed to countries in all the continents. In the Emilia-Romagna region, an average of nearly 7 500 PCs are issued every year, regarding predominantly seeds, fruits and vegetables and plants for planting. This export activity permits a good understanding of the requirements and actions of NPPOs throughout the world. In this presentation, the difficulties arising from the practical use of phytosanitary certification are highlighted. The different boxes of the PC are analysed, showing the critical points that some countries discussed with the regional (and Italian) Plant Protection Service. Obviously, the Standard cannot consider all the possible situations; some countries may then interpret the Standard according to their local circumstances. From a general point of view, in our opinion, it is possible to say that no substantial difference has been observed from the issuance of ISPM No. 12 to date. Just a few countries have complained as the PCs were not filled in as the ISPM No. 12 (or they) requires. Probably most of the discussions arose due to old legislations or missing information (and transparency). Through the exchange of the regulations and the facilitating of the direct communication among NPPOs, many of the current obstacles could be resolved.


Implementation of ISPMs No. 7 & 12 in Russia Mr Nikolay Tryakhov, Eurasian Economic Commission Smolenskaya bldn. 3/5, 119121 Moscow, Russian Federation [email protected] Services that ensure plant quarantine in the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia are seeking to maximize harmonization of phytosanitary measures applicable to the provisions of the IPPC, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Sanitary and PhytoSanitary (SPS) measures, international and regional standards for phytosanitary measures, building on the legislation of the Customs Union and national regulations. The Eurasian Economic Commission has paid particular attention to the harmonization of the legislation of the Customs Union with the international legislation in the field of plant quarantine. Examples of this are the decisions of the Commission of the Customs Union (No. 721, 773 and 835). Regulations on the exercise of quarantine and phytosanitary control (supervision) on customs border of the Customs Union and the Regulation on the procedure of quarantine phytosanitary control (supervision) in the customs territory of the Customs Union include the main provisions of international standards No. 7, 12, 20, 32. In accordance with ISPM No. 7, phytosanitary certificates are issued only to certified officials of the NPPO. Certificates are documents of strict accountability and a strict control of their issuance is maintained. NPPO officials are recertified preceded retraining, which is held every 3 years. In the case of a notification of non-compliance of regulated products with the phytosanitary requirements of an importing country, official investigations and measures are conducted to address the cause of violation. An important issue is the lack of phytosanitary requirements given by the Phytosanitary Portal IPPC. The Russian Ministry of Agriculture has repeatedly requested requirements from NPPO countries that are importers of Russian regulated products. It now has the phytosanitary requirements from only 40 countries, and, unfortunately, sometimes these are far from complete. ISPM No. 12 defines documentary control. Compliance with this standard requires the attribution of registration numbers to phytosanitary certificates for imported products. Often, products are returned due to non-compliance of phytosanitary certificates with the registration requirements of ISPM No. 12. For this reason, there are cases of occasional notification to the NPPO of States that are members of the Customs Union. Re-export certificates are almost never used. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that there are few re-exports, and on the other hand, in cases where the re-export certificates must be printed out, they are issued on the export phytosanitary certificate of the Custom Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. There is a formulation problem in ISPM No. 12 concerning the ‘lack of information or incorrect data’ in the section 2.2 on the ‘Replacement of phytosanitary certificate’. Another problematic question is also that phytosanitary certificates are sent after shipment.


Implementation of ISPMs No. 7 & 12 in Latvia, Ms. Kristine Kjago, Director of the State Plant Protection Service Lielvārdes iela 36/38, Rīga, LV-1981, Latvia [email protected] This presentation explains how decisions concerning the need to issue a phytosanitary certificate for re-export are taken, what a consignment of re-export is and describes the process of phytosanitary certification for re-export including:

- in which cases a phytosanitary certificate for re-export is issued; - what the basic requirements are to issue a phytosanitary certificate for re-

export; - which documents must accompany the consignment for re-export.

A description will be provided of the specific considerations for issuing a phytosanitary certificate for re-export with a focus on the specific situations in Latvia in which a phytosanitary certificate for re-export is and is not issued. The specific requirements for completing seperate sections of a re-export phytosanitary certificate are the following:

- which information is different from the required information in a phytosanitary certificate for export;

- which information should not be transferred from the original phytosanitary certificate or its certified copy;

- which information should be indicated in Additional declaration (cases, when it is required);

- a sample of phytosanitary certificate for re-export from Latvia.

The presentation also includes general requirements for certified copies of phytosanitary certificates, in which cases a certified copy of the phytosanitary certificate of Latvia is issued. Problems in Latvia carrying out re-export phytosanitary certification and a summary situation of re-export in Latvia in 2011 will also be explained.


Issuance of phytosanitary certificates and certification system in Algeria Ms Ziouche, Ministry of agriculture of Algeria 12 Boulevard Amirouche, 16000 Alger, Algeria [email protected] Phytosanitary control and issuance of phytosanitary certificates in Algeria are governed by the law No. 87-17 of 1 August 1987 on plant protection. Phytosanitary certificates are issued to indicate that consignments of plants, plant products or other regulated articles meet specified phytosanitary requirements of importing countries and are consistent with the corresponding model phytosanitary certificate. The Algerian phytosanitary certificate includes all the features formulated by the International Plant Protection Convention.


Implementation of ISPMs No. 7 & 12 in the Netherlands

Mr Nico Horn, Plant Protection Service Geertjesweg 15 Postbus 9102, 6700 HC Wageningen, the Netherlands [email protected] Plants and plant products are certified in the Netherlands for export to many countries, each of them with their own import requirements. These import requirements are the basis for export inspection and certification. Therefore it is important that importing countries communicate their phytosanitary import requirements and any changes to them clearly and in a timely manner. In the Netherlands these import requirements are analyzed to instruct the inspectors as to how the required guarantee can be the basis for export certification. In the Netherlands the NPPO has created a database of all necessary import requirements covering more than 100 countries and many more different plants. To be able to give the required guarantee for a number of pests that are not known to be present in the Netherlands, the NPPO of the Netherlands conducts yearly surveys for selected pests to determine or confirm the pest status as absent. This is then the basis for the guarantee in these cases. Another challenge for the Netherlands is certification for re-export. For re-export certification, official information is often needed from the country of origin. This was acknowledged when revising ISPM No. 12 and the possibility of additional official information on request of exporters is very helpful for certification for re-export. Moreover, in the European Union (EU) there is official communication between the NPPOs of the EU countries using an internal EU communication document. This allows for export certification in another member state of the EU than the member state of origin. If this information would not be available, export certification in the Netherlands would not be possible. To keep the whole export certification system in the Netherlands running and updated requires constant attention by the NPPO.


Export certification: a UK perspective

Mr Kilby, the Food & Environment Research Agency (FERA) Plant Health & Seeds Inspectorate (PHSI) Room 10GA01, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ, the United Kingdom [email protected] Background Export certification is an important guarantee to importing countries that appropriate phytosanitary procedures have been applied to conform to the requirements of import legislation. The UK considers it important that implementation of a phytosanitary certification system is globally harmonized to ensure that there is confidence in the movement of plants and plant material in a growing export culture and to ensure a level playing field in implementation. Key Processes Security and traceability of documentation together with adequate training of staff is an important contributor to this confidence. The UK records all export inspections and produces phytosanitary certificates, using an electronic application and recording system called eDomero. The system produces a unique numerical reference for each certificate and records the name of the inspector carrying out inspections and issuing documentation, together with the date of each activity carried out. Any questions of authenticity can be easily addressed by retrieving data from the relevant electronic application and a copy of the actual certificate issued by Fera which is stored in the specific office of issue. Fera also maintains a full list of inspectors authorised to issue phytosanitary documentation. Another very important area of export certification is confidence in being able to obtain the latest import requirements for each country. The UK maintains summaries of plant health legislation called SOCPHIR’s (Summary of Other Country Plant Health Import Requirements). The Information in these documents is obtained from various sources – requirements provided by NPPO’s on the IPPC website; information obtained direct from other countries websites; and correspondence received direct from specific countries. The UK also maintains a database of additional tests for each species of seed in order to meet the required freedom from quarantine pests and diseases attested in phytosanitary certificates.


Issuing phytosanitary certificates in Switzerland

Mr von Felten, Swiss Federal Plant Protection Service SPPS Federal Department of Economic Affairs FDEA Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG Mattenhofstrasse 5, CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland [email protected] Since 2010 the Swiss plant protection service SPPS uses a web based application platform to implement the International Standard for Phytosanityry Measures No. 7 and 12 (www.phytosanitarycertificate.ch). The introduction of the new platform simplified and quickened the export certification process and the issuing of the phytosanitary certificates (PC). The platform works as follows: the exporter applies online for a PC or a PC for re-export and attaches all relevant documents. With the submission of the request, the information is sent to the responsible inspector. Based on the information about the commodity and the import requirements of the country of destination, the inspector decides which necessary inspections have to be made to issue a PC. If the commodity complies with the phytosanitary requirements of the country of destination, the PC can be easily established. In 2011, 554 PCs and 25 PCs for re-export were established. Classified into commodity groups PCs, 189 PCs were established for seeds, 117 for wood packaging material, 110 for wood, 82 for cut flowers and branches, 40 for fruit and vegetables, 31 for plants for planting and 10 for others. Out of these 579 established PCs not all are necessary, especially most of the PCs for wood packaging material were mainly established to facilitate the import procedure into the country of destination, as the ISPM No. 15 mark was sometimes not enough. Only recently the SPPS was confronted with some special consignments for re-export. PCs for re-export were requested for collective consignments. They contain commodities from different EU countries and are sent by a Swiss company to a third country. The collective consignment is then either collected in Switzerland and sent to a third country (PC established by Swiss authorities) or collected at the point of export in another country (PC request rejected).


Implementation of e-phytosanitary certificates Mr Nico Horn, Plant Protection Service Geertjesweg 15 Postbus 9102, 6700 HC Wageningen, the Netherlands [email protected] Nowadays paper is increasingly replaced by electronic messages. Electronic communication can also easily be secured, essential for transfer of guarantees, such as the phytosanitary certificate. The way to deal with paper phytosanitary certificates is described and standardized in ISPM No. 12. This standard considers electronic certificates equivalent to paper ones if certain requirements are fulfilled. These will be described in Appendix 1 of ISPM No. 12. Electronic certification will allow for better guarantees against fraud, faster data exchange, re-use of data by government and trade, and better cooperation with Customs. Electronic phytosanitary certification, also called ePhyto, will only be effective when globally harmonized. This will be done in ISPM No. 12 and contains the format of the electronic certificate, its contents, the means of transfer and security. This is done in such a way that all ISPM No. 12 elements of certification are also included in electronic certification. Moreover, codes are used for the contents of electronic certificates to allow for more effective use of electronic certificates and to facilitate the process by avoiding mistakes or typing errors. This is for instance essential in scientific names of plants and pests, for this the use of the EPPO Plant Protection Thesaurus (EPPT) is proposed. Furthermore the electronic equivalents of replacements, certified copies and re-export certificates are described, with references to a designated part of the IPPC website for more technical information. It is also described how countries can deal with electronic re-export certification when the original certificate of export is still a paper certificate. The member consultation on this appendix to ISPM No. 12 was closed in October 2012 and the Standards Committee is now reviewing all comments. This appendix is really needed as a basis for worldwide harmonisation of ePhyto under the IPPC. At the moment, the Netherlands has pilot projects with Kenya, the republic of Korea and Chile and is extending electronic certification to other countries such as China, the USA and Brazil.


L i s t o f p a r t i c i p a n t s


EPPO/NEPPO Workshop Toward an harmonized implementation of ISPMs - No. 7 & No. 12

Antalya (TR), 2012-11-20/22

PARTICIPANTS Algeria ZIOUCHE Sihem (Ms) Ministry of Agriculture, 12 boulevard Amirouche, 16000 Alger,

Algeria Tel: +213-21429348 [email protected]

Belgium MESTDAGH Inge (Ms) Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain, Kruidtuinlaan 55, 1000 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32-22118450 - Fax: +32-22118471 [email protected]

Czech Republic SLANINA Michal (Mr) State Phytosanitary Administration, Statni rostlinolekarska sprava, Smetanovo nam 279, 580 01 Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic Tel: +420-606792116 [email protected]

Egypt ABDELAZIZ Mostafa (Mr) Central administration of plant quarantine, Elsaid str. 1 Doky, 11412 Giza, Egypt Tel: +20-1282636695 [email protected]

Estonia METSMAN Ülle (Ms) Estonian Agricultural Board, Teaduse 2, 75501 Saku, Estonia Tel: +372-6712648 - Fax: +372-6712624 [email protected]

France BRUN Marie-José (Ms) Plant Protection Service, DRAAF-SRAL PACA B. P. 95, 84143 Montfavet, France Tel: +33-0490811100 - Fax: 0490811129 [email protected]

OCTAU Sylvain (Mr) Service Régional de l'Alimentation - Pays de la Loire, 10 rue André Le Nôtre, 49044 Angers, France Tel: +33-(0)241723217 - Fax: +33-(0)241360035 [email protected]

PACHECO Clara (Ms) Ministère de l'agriculture, de l'agroalimentaire et de la forêt, Direction Générale de l'alimentation, Sous-Direction des Affaires Sanitaires Européennes et Internationales, 251 rue de Vaugirard, 75732 Paris Cedex, France Tel: +33-149558188 - Fax: +33-149555949 [email protected]

Germany UNGER Jens (Mr) Julius Kühn Institut (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for National and International Plant Health, Messeweg 11/12, 38104 Braunschweig, Germany Tel: +49-5312993370 - Fax: +49-53129993007 [email protected]


Hong Kong WONG Lok Kwan Jimmy (Mr)

Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, HKSARG, Plant & Pesticides Regulatory Division, AFCD 5/F., Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon, 0000 Hong Kong, Hong Kong Tel: +852-21507022 - Fax: +852-27369904 [email protected]

Ireland COLLIS Con (Mr) Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Horticulture & Plant Health Division, Backweston Campus, Celbridge, Co. Kildare, Ireland Tel: +353-876763891 [email protected]

Italy FINELLI Franco (Mr) Servizio Fitosanitario Regione Emilia-Romagna, Ufficio Controlli e Certificazioni, Via di Saliceto 81, 40128 Bologna, Italy Tel: +39-0515278260 - Fax: +39-051358397 [email protected]

SOLMI Paolo (Mr) Servizio Fitosanitario Regione Emilia-Romagna, via Pirano, 11 , 48100 Ravenna, Italy Tel: +39-0544421523 - Fax: +39-0544590285 [email protected]

Kazakhstan ZHARMUKHAMEDOVA Galiya (Ms)

Kazak Research Institute for Plant Protection and Quarantine, Kasybekbi str. 1, v. Rahat, Karasay district, Almaty region, 040924 Karasay District, Almaty Region, Almaty, Kazakhstan Tel: +07-7272295609 - Fax: +07-7272295609 [email protected]

Latvia JANEVICA Evita (Ms) State Plant Protection Service, Lielvardes street 36/38, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia Tel: +371-67550928 - Fax: +371-67550927 [email protected]

KJAGO Kristine (Ms) State Plant Protection Service, Lielvardes street 36/38, LV -1981 Riga, Latvia Tel: +371-67027098 - Fax: +371-67027219 [email protected]

Lithuania CIJAUSKAS Evaldas Zigmas (Mr)

State Plant Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Ozo str. A4, LT-09304 Vilnius, Lithuania Tel: +370-52375631 - Fax: +370-52375633 [email protected]

LAPINSKAS Gintaras (Mr) State Plant Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Ozo str. A4, LT-09304 Vilnius, Lithuania Tel: +370-52731311 - Fax: +370-52752128 [email protected]

Malta BORG Josef (Mr) Plant Health Directorate, Plant Biotechnology Centre Annibale Preca Street, LJA 1915 Lija, Malta Tel: +356-22927122 [email protected]

Netherlands HORN Nico M. (Mr) Plant Protection Service, Geertjesweg 15 Postbus 9102, 6700 HC Wageningen, Netherlands Tel: +31-651998151 - Fax: +31-317421701 [email protected]


Sultanate of Oman

ALYAHYAEI Sultan (Mr) Ministry of Agriculture, B.O 603, 132 Muscat, Oman Tel: +968-99228120 - Fax: +96899228120 [email protected]

Poland BUZON Dorota (Ms) Main Inspectorate of Plant Health and Seed Inspection, Al. Jana Pawła II 11, 00-828 Warszawa, Poland Tel: +48-226529294 [email protected]

Poland (continued)

KRASNIEWSKA Anna (Ms) State Plant Health and Seed Inspection Service, Main Inspectorate, Phytosanitary Supervision Division, Al. Jana Pawla II 11, 01-828 Warsaw, Poland Tel: +48-226529296 [email protected]

0Switzerland VON FELTEN Andreas (Mr) Federal office for Agriculture, Mattenhofstrasse 5, 3003 Bern, Switzerland Tel: +41-313222590 - Fax: +41-313222634 [email protected]

Turkey BIRISIK Nevzat (Mr) Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock of Turkey, Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock, General Directorate of Food and Control. Eskişehir yolu. 9 km. Yeni bina kat 7. Çankaya. Ankara, 06810 Ankara, Turkey Tel: +90-5052551783 - Fax: 0903122587789 [email protected]

SOYKAN Serkan (Mr) Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock of Turkey, Eskişehir Yolu 9. Km. Lodumlu Çankaya, 06530 Ankara, Turkey Tel: +90-3122587455 - Fax: +90-3122587472 [email protected]

United Arab Emirates

AL HASHIMI Adel (Mr) Ministry of Enviroment and Water, United Arab Emirates, 00971 Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971-42148444 [email protected]

ALKAABI Nourah (Ms) Ministry of environment & water, United Arab Emirates , 04 Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971-505797799 - Fax: +971-92229178 [email protected]

United Kingdom

KILBY Paul (Mr) Food & Environment Research Agency, Plant Health & Seeds Inspectorate, Room 10GA01 Sand Hutton, YO41 1LZ York, United Kingdom Tel: +44-1904465620 - Fax: +44-1904465628 [email protected]

Eurasian Economic Commission

LYSENKO Dasha (Ms) Eurasian Economic Commission, Smolenskaya bldn. 3/5, 119121 Moscow, Russian Federation Tel: +7-067923872 [email protected]

SOLONETS Tatiana (Ms) Eurasian Economic Commission, Yakovoapostol'ski lane 12, bldn 1, 105064 Moscow, Russian Federation Tel: +49-56692400 [email protected]


TRYAKHOV Nikolay (Mr) Eurasian Economic Commission, Smolenskaya bldn. 3/5, 119121 Moscow, Russian Federation Tel: +7-4952001287 [email protected]

NEPPO CHOUIBANI Mekki (Mr) Near East Plant Protection Organization, Avenue Haj Ahmed Cherkaoui. Agdal, 10090 Rabat, NEPPO Tel: +212-661309104 [email protected]

EPPO ARNITIS Ringolds (Mr) OEPP/EPPO, 21 boulevard Richard Lenoir, 75011 Paris, France Tel: +33-145207794 - Fax: +33-170766547 [email protected]

BRUNEL Sarah (Ms) OEPP/EPPO, 21 boulevard Richard Lenoir, 75011 Paris, France Tel: +33-145207794 - Fax: +33-170766547 [email protected]

toward an harmonized implementation of ispms no. 7...

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