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)
conflicts may develop in future, if the CPHR is not positively acknowledged in the EU-IAS
strategy.
The responsibilities of national bodies with competence for plant health and environmental
policy should be clearly indicated and coordinated, as implementation of the relevant
legislation is often the responsibility of different authorities. Invasive species harmful to
plants (either agricultural or other) should be managed by the phytosanitary authorities.
More generally, policy makers in the environment field consider that an overlap in objectives
exists between the two policies, indeed also with agricultural policy, in that increasing
problems in plant health are – to some extent seen as - an indication of degrading
environmental conditions and agricultural practices that both affect the ability of plants to
resist pathogens and increase the incidence of pathogens per se. Large scale monocultures and
intensive farming methods are in particular considered to be one factor contributing to the
degradation of the environment and biodiversity, increasing plant susceptibility to pests.
Stronger coordination in pursuing objectives and designing measures is therefore needed as a
matter of principle between these policies (e.g. through greater use of crop rotations to act as a
mitigating measure to address both environmental degradation and plant health problems) 244 .
Approximately one fifth (17%) of the EU land is covered by sites protected under Natura
2000 (Source: EC, 2009). To date, Natura 2000 comprises 22,419 Sites of Community
Importance (SCIs) under the Habitats Directive and 5,242 Special Protection Areas (SPAs)
under the Birds Directive (EC, 2009). Forest habitat types designated as Natura 2000 sites
cover over 14 million ha, constituting almost 20% of the whole terrestrial Natura 2000
network 245 .
The management of potential plant health problems (pest outbreaks) in these areas is subject
to interpretation by the MS under the Subsidiarity principle of Art. 6, which requires the
existence of ―imperative reasons of overriding public interest‖ in order to undertake a plan or
a project in an area in the network of Natura 2000, and this could create potential situations of
incoherence in pursuance of PH vs. conservation targets. In Portugal for example, Natura
2000 network covers 20% of the territory (including the Setubal region, where PWN was
detected for the first time in 1999).
244 The Commission has launched a study on crop rotation (ENV B.1 contract "Environmental impacts of
different crop rotations in the EU" (completion due in autumn 2010). Earlier studies on multi-functionality
aspects of certain crops, including plant health protection, include: KBBE-2009-1-2-01 "Legumes: key
multifunctional legume crops for an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly future European agriculture"
(the subject is quite broad and includes, inter alia, environmental services associated with of legumes (soil
fertility, impact on epidemiology of plant pests and pathogens in crop rotations, biodiversity, etc.).
245 Source: Green Paper On Forest Protection and Information in the EU: Preparing forests for climate change
SEC(2010)163 final
Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 258