75th EPPO Council Session

Paris, 2025-09-23/24

 

Photo of the 2025 Session of the EPPO Council

 

The 75th Session of Council took place in the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on 23rd and 24th September 2025. Delegates were welcomed by Mr van Herzele (EPPO Chair) and Ms Olga Tikka (EPPO Director-General).

 

Council Session was preceded by a discussion on the EPPO Strategic Framework 2026-2030. Mr van Herzele (Chair) welcomed delegates from 31 EPPO member countries and the European Commission (permanent observer). In addition, 1 other country (Guernsey) delegated voting to the United Kingdom.

 

Member Governments were updated on the technical work being carried out by EPPO Panels under the guidance of the Working Party on Phytosanitary Regulations and the Working Party on Plant Protection Products.

 

They also received reports on some other activities, such as the EPPO Q-bank, RNQP Project part 2, EPPO’s involvement in research projects (BeXyl, Green ERA-Hub, EmergeNOW, IAS Risk Assessment and FORSAID) and an update on awareness raising activities and the EPPO Jens-Georg Unger Plant Health Fellowship as well as on the activities of the European Minor Uses Co-ordination Facility (MUCF).

 

 

 

A number of new and revised EPPO Standards were adopted (see below) and four new pests were added to the EPPO A1 and A2 Lists of pests recommended for regulation as quarantine pests.

 

Council approved the Strategic Framework 2026 -2030, the Annual Report for 2024, as well as the budget for 2026, work programme and calendar of meetings for 2026.

 

Member Governments were informed about the participation of EPPO in global activities (e.g. IPPC regional workshops for Europe and Central Asia, CPM-19, IPPC bodies, Technical Consultation among RPPOs, SPG, EPPO/NEPPO contingency exercise workshop on Xylella fastidiosa and the IPPC Technical Panel on Diagnostic Protocols) .

 

As a result of statutory elections (as of January 2026) the EPPO Executive Committee will be joined by Germany and Türkiye. The Accounts Verification Panel (as of January 2026) will be joined by Austria as the member and Spain as alternate.

 

A minute of silence was also held for Dr Ian Smith, former Director-General (1985-2005) of the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization to respect and honour his commitment and passion for international cooperation in plant protection.

 

The next session of the EPPO Council will take place in Paris on the 22nd-23rd of September 2026.

 

Standards approved by EPPO Council 

New and revised Standards will be published in due course in the EPPO Bulletin. They will also be accessible on the EPPO website and stored in the EPPO Global Database.

 

EPPO Standards PM 1 – General Phytosanitary Measures

Additions to the A1 List (pests absent from the EPPO region)

  • Xylotrechus pyrrhoderus
  • Resseliella citrifrugis

 

Additions to the A2 List (pests locally present in the EPPO region)

  • Ceratocystis ficicola
  • Euphorbia davidii (plant)

 

Transfer from the A1 to the A2 List

  • ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma ulmi’
  • Ripersiella hibisci

 

EPPO Standards PM 3 – Phytosanitary procedures

  • PM 3/new General guidelines for the export certification process for plants, plant products or other regulated articles – NEW
  • PM 3/70 Compliance procedures for consignments of potato tubers at export and import (revision)

 

The following Standard has been WITHDRAWN:

  • PM 3/29 General export inspection procedures for glasshouse and nursery

 

EPPO Standards PM 7 – Diagnostic protocols for regulated pests

 

  • PM 7/122 Guidelines for the organization of interlaboratory comparisons by plant pest diagnostic laboratories (revision)
  • PM 7/98 Specific requirements for laboratories preparing accreditation for a plant pest diagnostic activity (revision)
  • PM 7/84 Basic requirements for quality management in plant pest diagnostic laboratories (revision)

 

The Council was informed that the following diagnostic protocols have been approved following the fast track procedure since the last Council meeting:

  • PM 7/125 ELISA tests for viruses (revision)
  • PM 7/011 Frankliniella occidentalis (revision)
  • PM 7/160 Rhagoletis pomonella – NEW
  • PM 7/026 Phytophthora cinnamomi (revision)
  • PM 7/045 Cryphonectria parasitica (revision)
  • PM 7/159 Stagonosporopsis chrysanthemi – NEW
  • PM 7/158 Meloidogyne graminicola – NEW

 

EPPO Standards PM 9 – National regulatory control systems

  • PM 9/new Amaranthus palmeri and A. tuberculatus - NEW

 

EPPO Standards PP 1 – Efficacy Evaluation of Plant Protection Products

 

Specific Standards

  • PP 1/002 Phytophthora infestans on potato and outdoor tomato (revision)
  • PP 1/048 Migratory ectoparasitic and endoparasitic nematodes (revision)
  • PP 1/085 Thrips on arable and vegetable crops in outdoor conditions (revision)
  • PP 1/314 Evaluation of mating disruption techniques against lepidopteran pests in grapevine, pome and stone fruits under field conditions (revision)
  • PP 1/144 Reduction of lodging in cereals and maize (revision)
  • PP 1/new Spodoptera spp. in vegetables, strawberries and ornamentals – NEW
  • PP 1/new Spodoptera frugiperda on maize – NEW
  • PP 1/new Weevils in sugar beet - NEW

 

General Standards

  • PP 1/242 Taint tests (revision)
  • PP 1/243 Effects of PPP on biological transformation processes (revision)
  • PP 1/296 Principles of efficacy evaluation for PPP based on low-risk substances (revision)
  • PP 1/new Principles of effectiveness evaluation of PPP in a plant protection programme – NEW
  • PP 1/new Assessing the adverse effects of PPP on russeting - NEW