Following a request from the EU Commission, the Panel on Plant Health has addressed the pest
categorisation of non-EU isolates of potato virus Y (PVY). The information currently available on
geographical distribution, biology, epidemiology, potential entry pathways and potential additional
impact of non-EU isolates of PVY, has been evaluated with regard to the criteria to qualify as a
potential Union quarantine pest. Because non-EU isolates of PVY are absent from the EU, they do not
meet one of the requirements to be regulated as a regulated non-quarantine pest (RNQP) (presence in
the EU); as a consequence, the Panel decided not to evaluate the other RNQP criteria for these
isolates. Populations of PVY can be subdivided into several strains and groups of isolates: strain C
(PVY-C), strain N (PVY-N), strain O (PVY-O) and a wide range of recombinant isolates (PVYrecombinants) which have a worldwide distribution (including the EU). Two groups of isolates, i.e. the
Brazilian (PVY-Br) and Chilean (PVY-Ch) isolates, are considered absent from the EU. Non-EU isolates
of PVY-C, PVY-N, PVY-O and PVY-recombinants identified so far are not expected to have an additional
impact in the EU compared to the PVY isolates already present and, therefore, do not meet the
corresponding criterion to qualify as a potential Union quarantine pest. The Panel is unable to conclude
on the potential additional impact of isolates of PVY-Br and PVY-Ch in the EU territory, but these
isolates meet all the other criteria to qualify as potential Union quarantine pests