78th Meeting of the Panel on Global Phytosanitary Affairs

Teleconferences, 2021-03-30/31 and 2021-04-02

 

The April 2021 meeting of the EPPO Panel on Global Phytosanitary Affairs was organized as a series of teleconferences as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 15th session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM-15) was also organized by teleconference on 2021-03-16, 2021-03-18 and on 2021-04-01.

 

 

The EPPO Panel meetings focussed on the review of the draft Standards, which were for consultation amongst the members of the Standards Committee (SC). The Panel studied the drafts in order to provide inputs from the EPPO region to European SC members. Discussions focussed on the following drafts which may be shared by the IPPC Secretariat for the first round of consultation in July 2021:

  • Revision of ISPM 4 Requirements for the establishment of pest free areas
  • Use of specific import authorizations (Annex to ISPM 20 Guidelines for a phytosanitary import regulatory system)
  • Revision of ISPM 18 Guidelines for the use of irradiation as a phytosanitary measure
  • the amendments to ISPM 5 Glossary of Phytosanitary terms (2021)

 

The Panel members also studied the drafts ISPMs which will be considered by the SC for approval for the second round of consultation:

  • Commodity-based standards for phytosanitary measures
  • Audits in the phytosanitary context
  • Focused revision of ISPM 12 in relation to re-export
  • the amendments to ISPM 5 Glossary of Phytosanitary terms (2019 and 2020)

 

The Panel members were updated on recent IPPC discussions, including those of the CPM Bureau, the Implementation and Capacity Development Committee (IC), the Technical Consultation (TC) among RPPOs and the finalization of the activities of the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH). The Panel also evaluated the CPM-15 session held by videoconference and appreciated its outcomes and effectiveness. They, however, look forward to the next CPM physical meeting where interactions among delegations and parallel discussions can take place.

 

The Panel also discussed the progress of a number of strategic issues, including the preparation of IPPC Commodity Standards, Sea Containers, Pest Outbreak Alert and Response System, ePhyto and eCommerce.

 

The next meeting of the EPPO Panel on Global Phytosanitary Affairs is planned to take place on 2021-09-09/10 in conjunction with the IPPC/FAO Regional Workshop for Europe and Central Asia to be held on 2021-09-06/08 by teleconference.