The European citrus sector requires the largest plant protection for their crops

The European citrus sector has demanded greater protection for Community plant plantations, before the debate opened by the European Commission on a possible relaxation of the conditions of pest control citrus fruits imported from third countries. This was expressed to those responsible for the EC in the course of the meeting of the Citrus Market Forecast, held on June 23th.

Thus, organizations representing the Spanish citrus sector (production, cooperatives and private business), accompanied by their counterparts from other producing countries, require the Commission to strengthen and not weaken the plant protection community plantations, and have protested unanimously against the initiative of the Commission presented to the Member States in section SCOPAFF plant health, which opens the debate on the amendment of the annexes of Directive 2000/29 of plant health.

They argue that the document circulated by the Commission changes is a step back in the path of phytosanitary security of European citrus and exacerbate the risk of new and dangerous pests are established in the Union, causing very serious damage on raised plantations.

Questioning the citrus sector it has focused in this case on two points:

• The Commission has placed emphasis on the introduction in Directive 2000/29 of False Codling Moth or Thaumatotibia leucotreta, as had been demanding for years the Spanish citrus sector (after having registered only from South Africa, and in 2015 and 2014, almost 40 interceptions). For the sector such inclusion is useless if the requirement of Cold Treatment is not imposed, but is allowed to be the importer who choose the “effective treatment”. Spanish experts have pointed out that the “Cold Treatment” is the only effective treatment and adjusted to the risk and which are demanding other countries, like the USA and Japan, to imports from countries with presence of the pest, such as South Africa. For this reason, they have expressed their opposition to the EU less demanding.

• In the case of pests such as “Citrus Cancer” and “black spot”, the Commission proposes to introduce into the Annex to the Directive an exceptional consideration for citrus fruit for processing into juice, which could benefit from a lower level of control. A path that has already recently opened a temporary basis, and against the advice of experts and the Spanish sector through the adoption of Implementing Decision of the Commission (EU) 2016/715, and now want to consolidate. In the eyes of producers, trade and European cooperatives, this proposal is also unacceptable: repeats unsafe, scientifically unfounded road and was already rejected in the past because the risk that those citrus, after entry into the EU, diverted the fresh market (attracted by better prices) is unaffordable.

The citrus sector calls this initiative inexplicable and inconsistent with the recently reached agreement between the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament in favor of the reinforcement of plant protection in the EU, against the risk of spread of pests from third countries, within the framework of the processing Plant Protection Regulation border. Something that have also reported several deputies in the European Parliament, in a written question to the Commission, and in his speech at the session of the Comagri, held on June 20.

Debate inappropriate 

It also criticizes the Commission raises such debates rather than sticking to the conclusions of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which has just published its evaluation of new scientific evidence appeared since 2014, reaching ratify their opinions as published in that year, about the risks of contagion in the EU Black Spot. A report should encourage administrations to strengthen, not relax, the border protection systems in place in 2014.

For all the arguments, participants in the meeting expressed their confidence that the Commission dismiss such options and resume and strengthen the strategy set in 2014, without giving in to pressure from importers, trade or industrial. Otherwise, according to their warnings, “would sacrifice the safety of 600,000 hectares of European citrus plantations and everything that depends on them, in environmental terms, employment, agrarian economy and the associated industry and export activity“.

In the short term, it has asked the Commission to work in coordination and harmonization of inspection services in border of other Member States, mainly in the ports of Holland and the UK, and establish a strategy for coordinated protection from Brussels .

Finally, it has been claimed, as they did by letter in May to the President of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, to prepare immediately an automatic reaction to 2016, so that the first intercepted shipment of contaminated fruit in the incipient import season citrus, precautionary closure of the border of the Union is decreed.

Source: Spanish citrus sector organizations.