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)
of laboratories in smaller MS, that may not have the capacity to meet all the requirements. It is
reiterated that all national laboratories need a basic level of resources to process intercepted samples in
that country, and in most cases the process of detection and identification is best done in the region of
interception for reasons of speed and efficiency. The standardization of methods is also seen as
negative in a way as it would decrease the diversity of views or approaches to diagnosis. Also, with
regard to reference collections, it is specified that those are a basic tool of trade for all diagnosticians;
and that local ones are part of larger historic collections of wider scope and with associated expert
knowledge.
Another concern is related to ‗political‘ element related to the designation of EU-RLs. With regard to
the costs, some MS point out that EU-RLs may result in increased costs for funding them, as well as
increase in operational costs for MS NRLs related to heavier procedures (e.g. sending of samples etc.)
or to the accreditation scheme.
On the long term, it would be therefore optimal to have a EU-RL for each of the disciplines
(nematology, entomology, acarology, mycology, bacteriology, virology), and subset of disciplines, so
that they should be able to detect all the 250 HOs. In the short term, the suggested approach would be
to establish EU-RLs for a limited number of HOs; for the other HOs, priority should be place at this
stage on better coordination and strengthening of national laboratories, with a view to the establishment
of NRLs, and a progressive process moving from NRL to EU-RL (as for AH sector). As suggested by
one MS, having a NRL in every country would be good, if an effective exchange is implemented and
one country takes the lead for better cooperation. Under accreditation of laboratories, every lab would
be under the same regime and in principle, should have the same quality standards, with differences
based on own priorities.
HOs to which priority should be given for the establishment of EU-RLs are – according to the survey
results - those difficult to diagnose/detect, and those listed in Annex IA and IIA of Directive
2000/29/EC.
A MS pointed out that a need for diagnosticians is distinguish HOs from other, non-HOs, i.e. assessing
whether other, non-listed organisms should be listed as regulated, non-quarantine species, and this
covers hundreds of different generic groups. Therefore it is noted that a EU-RL would also have to
house reference specimens for a wide range of genera containing plant-parasitic forms, together with
associated biological data such as geographical distribution, so that PRAs could be completed. The
suggestion here is to set up centres of excellence for commodities where testing is listed in 2008/61 302 –
e.g. Citrus, Malus, Prunus, Vitis, potato etc.
302 COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2008/61/EC of 17 June 2008 establishing the conditions under which certain harmful
organisms, plants, plant products and other objects listed in Annexes I to V to Council Directive 2000/29/EC may be
introduced into or moved within the Community or certain protected zones thereof, for trial or scientific purposes and for
work on varietal selections
Food Chain Evaluation Consortium 374