The European Commission (EC) has announced that it will review the emergency measures to strengthen the Community's protection against the black spot phytosanitary threat because of the citrus imports from South Africa, Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil.
In mid-March, the Spanish citrus sector asked Brussels to take concrete action in this regard, before the start of the new import season.
"Regarding this issue, the Commission has started to develop additional requirements for the importation of citrus from Uruguay because of their high level of non-compliance during the 2015 import season", said the European Commissioner for Health, Vytenis Andriukaitis.
"In February 2016 the Commission conducted an audit in Argentina to assess the official inspection and certification system for citrus exports to the EU," he added.
"We are planning to conduct a similar audit in Uruguay and South Africa in April and June 2016, respectively," said the commissioner.
"Based on the available information, the Commission shall review the emergency measures in force (a decision taken in 2014 for South Africa and another decision in 2004 for Brazil) to strengthen the protection of the EU against the black spot (Guignardia or Phyllosticta citricarpa) during the 2016 import season," Andriukaitis said.
If there are recurring interceptions due to the presence of this plague, the Commission will assess the situation and, if necessary, take further measures. The emergency measures may be reviewed at any time, he added.
Regarding the harmonization of phytosanitary controls, he said that "EU legislation establishes performing mandatory phytosanitary controls to all citrus fruit from countries outside the Union at the border of the EU territory."
In this context, he added, the Commission conducts audits to verify that import inspections are carried out in accordance with EU legislation.
It also conducts specific training to contribute to the harmonization of phytosanitary controls in the Union.
The letter to the EC was sent by Spain's Agricultural Food Cooperatives, the agricultural professional organizations (ASAJA, COAG and UPA), the Citrus Management Committee, and the Inter-professional Lime and Grapefruit Association.
Deputy Ramon Luis Valcarcel said that the Commission should not underestimate the risk that citrus imports from other countries could pose on the coming export season and the strategic nature of the citrus sector in Europe (600,000 hectares that may be exposed to the spread and contamination of the black spot), and that it was necessary for the Commission to closely monitor said imports.
"In 2015 South Africa demonstrated or confirmed it was insecure and joined other countries we deem insecure, such as Uruguay, which accumulated 70 interceptions of Phyllosticta citricarpa, Argentina (with 17 interceptions), and Brazil (with 13 interceptions)," he said.
Therefore, he asked the EC if they had considered deploying emergency measures to prevent the introduction and spread of such pests or if the Commission intended to prepare an automatic reaction to close the border if South Africa sent contaminated fruit and recorded more than 5 interceptions.
He also asked the EC if it planned to implement a protection strategy to coordinate and harmonize the inspection services at the border.
Source: EuroEFE