Plant health legislation: Protective measures against plant pests

Briefing 22-03-2016

Following an evaluation of the European Union's plant health regime, on 6 May 2013 the European Commission proposed a new regulation on protective measures against plant pests. These include regulating pests on the basis of established criteria for risk assessment and prioritising those pests with the most serious consequences. More focus is being placed on high-risk trade coming from third countries. The proposal provides for better surveillance and the early eradication of outbreaks of new pests. On 15 April 2014, the outgoing European Parliament adopted its first-reading position. Seven trilogue meetings were held which concluded on 16 December 2015, when the representatives of the Council and Parliament finalised an overall compromise text. Once the Council adopts its first reading position, the text could then be adopted by the Parliament without amendment in an early second reading. A more recent edition of this document is available. Find it by searching by the document title at this address: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/home.html