New phytosanitary import requirements to the European Union

The proposal notified in G/SPS/N/EU/196 (13 February 2017) is now adopted as Commission Implementing Directive (EU) 2017/1279 of 14 July 2017 amending Annexes I to V to Council Directive 2000/29/EC on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community [OJ L 184].NEW PROCEDURE:The European Commission invites non-EU trading countries to communicate prior to 1 January 2018, the date of the application of the above mentioned Directive, the following information:for the import requirements for the bacterial causative agent of the citrus canker disease, whether the country is free from the harmful organism or the pest free areas of the country recognized in accordance with the relevant International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures. In the case of the export of fruits subjected to a treatment, the details of the treatment applied need to be communicated and its efficacy documented (see the new point (16.2) and point (18.4) of Annex IV Part A Section I of Council Directive 2000/29/EC regarding the import requirements for Xanthomonas citricitri and Xanthomonas citri pv. aurantifolii)for the import requirements for Cercospora angolensis, whether the country is free from the harmful organism or the pest free areas of the country recognized in accordance with the relevant International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (see the new point (16.3) of Annex IV Part A Section I of Council Directive 2000/29/EC);for the import requirements for citrus black spot, whether the country is freefrom the harmful organism or the pest free areas of the country recognized in accordance with the relevant International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (see the new point (16.4) of Annex IV Part A Section I of Council Directive 2000/29/EC of Phyllosticta citricarpa)for the import requirements for false codling moth, the treatment applied to the fruits. In addition, the effectiveness of the mentioned treatment needs to be documented (see the new point (16.6) of Annex IV Part A Section I of Thaumatotibia leucotreta).The requested information should be sent to the plant health contact point of the European Commission, Directorate General for Health and Food Safety:SANTE-G1-PLANT-HEALTH@ec.europa.euIn case the information is not provided before 1 January 2018, the import into the EU territory of the following commodities will not be allowed:
Fruits of CitrusFortunella Swingle, Poncirus Raf., Microcitrus Swingle, Naringi Adans., Swinglea Merr., and their hybrids originating in all non-EU countries;
Fruits of Capsicum (L.), Punicagranatum originating in countries of the African continent, Cape Verde, Saint Helena, Madagascar, La Reunion, Mauritius and Israel;
Plants of Microcitrus Swingle, Naringi Adans. and Swinglea Merr., other than fruits and seeds originating in all non-EU countries.
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2017/SPS/EEC/17_3506_00_e.pdf
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2017/SPS/EEC/17_3506_00_f.pdfhttp://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2017/SPS/EEC/17_3506_00_s.pdf