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)
The 3 case studies below 207 illustrate in more detail the impact in cases where the CPHR has
only partly been successful or has failed to prevent the entry, establishment and spread of an
HO in the EU.
Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Pine wood nematode - PWN)
One example where the CPHR has only partly successfully prevented the entry, establishment
and spread of an HO in the EU is the introduction and spread of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus
(Pine wood nematode - PWN).
Directive 2000/29/EC has not avoided the introduction of PWN in PT and the emergency
measures taken have not led to its eradication. The associated economic, social and
environmental consequences are very important, in terms of the large budget spent by PT (e.g.
around €40 million spent by land owners in the period 1999-2008) and the EU (around €21
million for the period 1999-2009, to compensate part of the costs incurred by Portuguese
authorities) for the control of pine wood nematode in PT, the large number of pine trees cut (2
million adult trees + 3,5 million small trees were eradicated in the "old affected area" , which
has had a major impact on the landscape and on the habitats of the region), the closing of
wood and wood packaging material industries, the imposition of additional measures for the
treatment of wood packaging materials (investment in heat treating facilities by around 200
Portuguese companies to date, whose cost is estimated to be in a range of €50,000-€100,000
per heat treatment facility – depending on the treatment capacity).
PWN is a major threat to European forests today with an estimated mortality risk of >50-90%
in southern Europe 208 , where 10 to 13 million hectares covered with coniferous trees are
predicted to die if PWN is allowed to spread, and a potential annual economic impact of €5
billion for the affected MS.
Furthermore, a considerable part of the area affected in Portugal and susceptible areas in
southern Europe are protected under Natura 2000.
On the other hand, from the Spanish point of view, the CPHR has to date been successful in
avoiding the establishment of PWN on their territory (one outbreak in ES, limited to one
infested tree only and successfully eradicated). It is noted, however, that Spain was able to
benefit from the lessons learnt and experience of the PT case and failure to contain this HO.
It appears therefore that where MS have used drastic measures for the control and eradication
of the HOs at an early phase of the outbreak in their territory, inter alia using the experience
and lessons learnt from other MS, this can make the difference between success and failure.
The contrasting experiences of PWN (ES vs PT) are an example.
207 The case of the plum pox virus (sharka virus), although largely considered a failure, has not been further
outlined below because this HO was already present in the majority of the MS before 1992. So there is no direct
link between its introduction and spread and the CPHR, during the period covered by this evaluation. Some
reference is made to efforts to contain it (e.g. EU research programmes SharCo) in other parts of this Report.
208 The geographical zone where temperatures average above 20°C during July or August are at highest risk.
FCEC 202