AGRI Committee adopts changes to the Plant Health Law

MEPs propose an emergency team, shorter period for surveys and better use of an electronic notification system in their report on the revision of the Plant Health Law.

The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development adopted the new rules on Tuesday by 36 votes to 1 and 1 abstention. MEPs, led by the rapporteur Clara Aguilera (S&D, ES), drafted a number of amendments in order to increase the protection of plants in the EU.

MEPs propose to create a Union Plant Health Emergency Team composed of experts appointed by the Commission and nominated by Member States. The team would assist Member States, or third countries bordering the EU, upon their request, with measures preventing outbreaks of Union quarantine pests and pests that may fulfil the conditions for quarantine pests.

MEPs propose a period of five to ten years for multiannual programmes for risk-based surveys that ensure timely detection of dangerous pests. The multiannual programmes should be reviewed and updated based on the phytosanitary situation of the territory concerned, say the MEPs.

Plant passport of plants, plant products or other objects should be issued no later than when it is moved for the first time by an importer to an operator in the EU, say the MEPs. Importers should make use of the Information Management System for Official Controls to provide results of an official control to authorities, they add.

Next steps

The Agriculture Committee also agreed to open negotiations with Member States on the final text. The decision is expected to be announced at the 26 - 29 February European Parliament plenary session. If there are no objections in plenary, the talks with Member States can start once the Council is ready.

Background

The Plant Health Law sets out rules to protect the EU against the entry and spread of new pests of plants (“Union quarantine pests”) and fight against pests already present in the EU (“regulated non-quarantine pests”). On 17 October 2023, the Commission submitted a revision of the rules in order to make them more effective and easier to apply.