2454 final report.pdf - Agra CEAS Consulting

Evaluation of the Community Plant Health Regime: Final Report
DG SANCO Evaluation Framework Contract Lot 3 (Food Chain)
EQ19. In how far is the CPHR adequately supported by research and development?
The extent to which the CPHR is adequately supported by research and development is examined
in terms of: overall funding for research on plant health issues and the prioritisation of existing
research; the availability of classical biological scientific expertise and innovative molecular
identification and detection methods; the adequacy of scientific efforts in relation to pest risk
analysis and the identification of potential impacts of emerging challenges for plant health
(globalization and climate change issues); the coordination of research programmes across the
EU (including via EUPHRESCO) and with third country trade partners. The current role of
EFSA in terms of scientific advice is also analysed.
3.9.1.1 Overview of EU/MS research programmes and funding on plant health
Plant health research is carried out in the context of the activities of the European agriculture,
horticulture and forestry industry and is aimed at protecting internal and external trade, as well as
optimising EU production of healthy plants and plant products. The value of exports of fruit,
vegetables, plants, cut-flowers and bulbs is estimated at €6 billion annually. In comparison, the
estimated annual cost of national phytosanitary science and inspection programmes is almost
€100 million, and funding of specific national phytosanitary research programmes is estimated at
about €15 million. This research is necessary and has a strong impact, as it supports maintenance
of national compliance with EU Plant Health legislation, i.e. diagnostic services, scientific
advice, policy development and inspection activities 165 . It is also noted that plant health research
activities are mainly commissioned under national MS budgets, and these account for roughly
90% of all such budgets available in the EU.
The RTD Framework Programmes have funded PLH research, the projects funded by EU FP6
and FP7 are summarized in the table below. Of these, EUPHRESCO is an ERA-Net which seeks
to coordinate funding of national projects into an overall platform, and is highly relevant for this
study. In addition, there are many national research programmes and projects for plant health.
The already available EUPHRESCO reports cover 25 MS. Of these, 14 have significant
phytosanitary programmes; 7 stated that they had no formal programme (Estonia, Greece,
Hungary, Malta, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovakia), even if they supported small-scale projects. The
total average annual research funding available for plant health in the MS was estimated at €15
million (based on the funding available amongst EUPHRESCO members in a recent 3-year
period).
EU-funded projects in the area of plant health have mainly been on the development of specific
Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) through research, or the development of diagnostic technologies (16
diagnostic projects related to statutory pests, amounting to approximately €16 million over a 12 year
period; ca. 11% of the national MS expenditure 166 ).
165 A. Inman (2008) EUPHRESCO Article: plant health at risk – EU Public Service Review – Issue 15
166 Examples since FP3 include: Colletotrichum diagnostics and taxonomy; Monilinia diagnostics; potato brown rot
(Ralstonia solanacearum) diagnostics; potato ring rot (Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus) diagnostics;
strawberry redcore diagnostics (Phytophthora fragariae); Diagnostic Protocols for specific EU quarantine pests
(DIAGPRO); feasibility of an EU Plant Health Directive diagnostic chip (DIAGCHIP); on-site diagnostics
(PORTCHECK); Karnal bunt (Tilletia indica) risks to wheat; pine wood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus)
Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 154