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)
EUROPHYT (European Network of Plant Health Information Systems) is a web-based
network developed and maintained within the FVO. Its main objective is to improve the
exchange of official information between plant health services of the MS and the European
Commission. EUROPHYT is made up of two parts:
The EUROPHYT-PHY database manages notifications of interceptions of plants or
plant products that do not comply with EU legislation. The system allows users to enter,
modify or consult notifications using either the interactive interface or the message
exchange facility. Notifications are distributed to all MS by e-mail in real-time, and may
be printed in a prescribed format. Users can be authorised to perform different roles:
consultation; data entry; approval at national and Community levels. The system may be
used for both third country and intra-Community notifications, and also allows for the
preparation of statistical information on these notifications. Users can work in different
Community languages. The system was established to provide rapid dissemination of
notifications to support the work of MS CAs in targeting high risk consignments. The
Commission is also able to provide an annual summary of notifications which is used as
an indication of the effectiveness of current import controls.
The EUROPHYT-(FIS) CIRCA database acts as a notice board for the MS and contains
data such as: technical and biological information; plant health legislation;
Vademecums for plant health inspectors. EUROPHYT-CIRCA has been used by MS
and the Commission since September 2001. It has increased the availability of
information to MS and eases the burden of distributing information, especially prior to
meetings of the Regulatory Committees. The greater availability of information also
increases transparency - for example, the results of surveys by a MS are readily
available to all other MS and the Commission.
EUROPHYT-PHY records interceptions in trade. The bulk of the entries are for third country
material intercepted during the import controls, the notification of which is compulsory as
required in Art.16(2) of Directive 2000/29/EC and in accordance with Commission Directive
94/3/EC. It is also recommended that EUROPHYT is used for the notifications of internal
market interceptions required in Article 12(4) of the base Directive, although this option does
not appear to be consistently followed by all MS 198 .
An overview of the functions and data provided by the current EUROPHYT system on
notifications of interceptions at import is provided in section 3.4.1. As concluded under this
198 It can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between "interceptions" that should be notified under Article 12(4)
(Directive 2000/29/EC) and outbreaks of HOs, that must be notified under Article 16(1) and 16(2), first
subparagraph, since "interceptions" in the internal market are usually not done at the point of introduction, but as
part of the general surveillance of nurseries etc. after the plants have been in the country for a shorter or longer
period of time. EUROPHYT is not used and is not designed to be used for outbreak notifications under Article
16(1) and (2). The details required and system of internal interception notifications and outbreak
notifications were never given the legal basis foreseen under Articles 12(4), second subparagraph and 21(6) and
(7) respectively. This was only done for 3rd country interception notifications by Commission Directive
94/3/EC, which EUROPHYT is based on.
FCEC 186