Commodity risk assessment of Juglans regia plants from Turkey

The European Commission requested the EFSA Panel on Plant Health to prepare and deliver risk assessments for commodities listed in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019 as ‘High risk plants, plant products and other objects’. This Scientific Opinion covers the plant health risks posed by 2‐year‐old grafted bare rooted plants for planting of Juglans regia imported from Turkey, taking into account the available scientific information, including the technical information provided by Turkey. The relevance of any pest for this Opinion was based on evidence following defined criteria. Two EU quarantine pests, Anoplophora chinensis and Lopholeucaspis japonica, and three pests not regulated in the EU, two insects (Garella musculana, Euzophera semifuneralis) and one fungus (Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae), fulfilled all relevant criteria and were selected for further evaluation. For these pests, the risk mitigation measures proposed in the technical dossier from Turkey were evaluated by considering the possible limiting factors. For these pests, an expert judgement was given on the likelihood of pest freedom taking into consideration the risk mitigation measures acting on the pests, including uncertainties associated with the assessment. While the estimated degree of pest freedom varied among pests, Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae was the pest most frequently expected on the commodity. The expert knowledge elicitation indicated, with 95% certainty, that 9,554 or more grafted bare rooted plants per 10,000 will be free from Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae

Commodity risk assessment of Acer campestre plants from the UK

The European Commission requested the EFSA Panel on Plant Health to prepare and deliver risk assessments for commodities listed in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019 as 'High risk plants, plant products and other objects'. This Scientific Opinion covers plant health risks posed by plants of Acer campestre imported from the UK as: (a) 1- to 7-year-old bare root plants for planting, (b) 1- to 15-year-old plants in pots and (c) bundles of 1- to 2-year-old whips and seedlings, taking into account the available scientific information, including the technical information provided by the UK. All pests associated with the commodity were evaluated against specific criteria for their relevance for this opinion. Six EU quarantine pests and four pests not regulated in the EU fulfilled all relevant criteria and were selected for further evaluation. For the selected pests, the risk mitigation measures implemented in the technical dossier from the UK were evaluated taking into account the possible limiting factors. For these pests, an expert judgement is given on the likelihood of pest freedom taking into consideration the risk mitigation measures acting on the pest, including uncertainties associated with the assessment. In the assessment of risk, the age of the plants was considered, reasoning that older trees are more likely to be infested mainly due to longer exposure time and larger size. The degree of pest freedom varies among the pests evaluated, with Phytophthora ramorum being the pest most frequently expected on the imported plants. The expert knowledge elicitation indicated with 95% certainty that 9,757 or more 1- to 15-year-old plants in pots per 10,000 will be free from P. ramorum

Commodity risk assessment of Acer palmatum plants grafted on Acer davidii from China

The European Commission requested the EFSA Panel on Plant Health to prepare and deliver risk assessments for commodities listed in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019 as ‘High risk plants, plant products and other objects’. This Scientific Opinion covers plant health risks posed by 2-year-old bare rooted plants for planting of Acer palmatum grafted on rootstocks of Acer davidii imported from China to the EU, taking into account the available scientific information, including the technical information provided by China. All pests associated with the commodity were evaluated against specific criteria for their relevance for this Scientific Opinion. Twenty-two pests that fulfilled all relevant criteria were selected for further evaluation. For 20 pests, the risk mitigation measures described in the technical dossier from China were evaluated taking into account the possible limiting factors. For these pests, an expert judgement is given on the likelihood of pest freedom taking into consideration the risk mitigation measures acting on the pest, including uncertainties associated with the assessment. While the estimated degree of pest freedom varied among pests, Lopholeucaspis japonica was the pest most frequently expected on the commodity. The Expert Knowledge Elicitation indicated, with 95% certainty, that 9,336 or more bare rooted plants per 10,000 will be free from L. japonica. For Anoplophora chinensis and Anoplophora glabripennis, the Panel considers that China applies the relevant measures as specified in Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2012/138 and Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/893

Commodity risk assessment of bonsai plants from China consisting of Pinus parviflora grafted on Pinus thunbergii

The European Commission requested the EFSA Panel on Plant Health to prepare and deliver a scientific opinion on the risk posed by bonsai plants from China consisting of Pinus parviflora grafted on Pinus thunbergii taking into account the available scientific information, including the technical information provided by China. All pests associated with P. parviflora and/or P. thunbergii were evaluated against specific criteria for their relevance for this Scientific Opinion. Forty-three pests that fulfilled all relevant criteria were selected for further evaluation. For 24 pests that are not quarantine in the EU, the risk mitigation measures described in the technical dossier from China were evaluated taking into account the possible limiting factors. For these pests, an expert judgement is given on the likelihood of pest freedom taking into consideration the risk mitigation measures acting on the pest, including uncertainties associated with the assessment. While the estimated degree of pest freedom varied among pests, Setoptus parviflorae was the pest most frequently expected on the commodity. The Expert Knowledge Elicitation indicated, with 95% certainty, that 9,114 or more bonsai plants per 10,000 will be free from Setoptus parviflorae. For 19 pests that are quarantine in the EU, the implementation of specific measures defined in point 30 and 31 of Annex VII of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 was evaluated. The requirements of point 31 are met, whereas those of point 30 are not completely fulfilled

Commodity risk assessment of ash logs from the US treated with sulfuryl fluoride to prevent the entry of the emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis

The European Commission submitted to the EFSA Panel on Plant Health a dossier by USDA proposing to use sulfuryl fluoride on ash log shipments to treat Agrilus planipennis for phytosanitary certification. After collecting additional evidence from USDA APHIS, external experts and literature, the Panel performed a quantitative assessment on the likelihood of pest freedom from A. planipennis, at the point of entry in the EU, of two different commodities fumigated with sulfuryl fluoride: (a) ash logs with bark; and (b) debarked ash logs. An expert judgement is given on the likelihood of pest freedom taking into consideration the measures acting on the pest, including uncertainties associated with the assessment. The likelihood of pest freedom from A. planipennis is lower for ash logs with bark compared with debarked ash logs. With 95% certainty, the Panel concludes that between 9,740 and 10,000 containers of ash logs with bark per 10,000 and between 9,989 and 10,000 containers of debarked ash logs per 10,000 will be free from A. planipennis, when fumigated with sulfuryl fluoride at the specific treatment regime proposed by the USDA APHIS

Commodity risk assessment of Corylus avellana plants from the UK

Abstract The European Commission requested the EFSA Panel on Plant Health to prepare and deliver risk assessments for commodities listed in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019 as ‘High risk plants, plant products and other objects’. This Scientific Opinion covers plant health risks posed by plants of Corylus avellana imported from the United Kingdom (UK) as: (a) bundles of 1‐ to 2‐year old whips or transplants, (b) bundles of 1‐ to 2‐year old cell grown plants, (c) 1‐ to 7‐year old bare root single plants and (d) up to 15‐year old single plants in pots, taking into account the available scientific information, including the technical information provided by the UK. All pests associated with the commodity were evaluated against specific criteria for their relevance for this opinion. Two EU quarantine pests, Phytophthora ramorum (non‐EU isolates) and Thaumetopoea processionea fulfilled all relevant criteria and were selected for further evaluation. For the selected pests, the risk mitigation measures implemented in the technical dossier from the UK were evaluated taking into account the possible limiting factors. For these pests an expert judgement is given on the likelihood of pest freedom taking into consideration the risk mitigation measures acting on the pest, including uncertainties associated with the assessment. In the assessment of risk, the age of the plants was considered, reasoning that older trees are more likely to be infested mainly due to longer exposure time and larger size. The degree of pest freedom varies among the pests evaluated, with P. ramorum being the pest most frequently expected on the imported plants. The expert knowledge elicitation indicated with 95% certainty that between 9939 and 10,000 of the single plants in pots up to 15‐year old will be free from P. ramorum (non‐EU isolates)