The European Commission has released a new evaluation report assessing the preparedness of EU Member States to respond to outbreaks of the most economically, environmentally, and socially damaging plant pests. This report reveals significant variations in the progress made by Member States in drawing up contingency plans for these priority pests. Six Member States have drawn up all required contingency plans, four Member States have no finalised plans, and the remaining Member States have made some progress in completing all necessary plans.

EU rules on plant health require Member States to establish contingency plans for the 20 priority pests that pose the greatest threat to the EU's crops, fruits, vegetables, flowers, ornamentals, and forests. These plans serve as a foundation for national authorities to eradicate these pests in the event of detection.

The importance of contingency plans cannot be overstated, as they play a crucial role in helping national authorities eradicate priority pests. However, this evaluation shows that some Member States still have a significant amount of work to do to be prepared for any outbreaks of priority pests.

Details of the evaluation report on EU Member States` preparedness for outbreaks of the most harmful pests are available at the link below.