49th Meeting of the Colorado Beetle Campaign Committee

Paris (FR), 2025-12-03

 

The 49th Meeting of the Colorado Beetle Campaign Committee was held in Paris on December 3rd, 2025. Chaired by EPPO Director-General Ms Tikka, the meeting was attended by seven committee members representing the United Kingdom, France, Jersey, and Guernsey, participating both physically and virtually. This gathering underscores the enduring commitment to addressing the Colorado Beetle threat, an area of collaborative effort dating back to the founding of EPPO in 1951.

 

The main objective of the Colorado Beetle Campaign is to protect the EPPO members Jersey and Guernsey from the pest's introduction. This is achieved through a collaborative program focused on the French Cotentin peninsula that encompasses crop inspections, meteorological monitoring, and observations of the flight behavior of caged beetles.

 

 

 

Meeting objectives

The meeting aimed to address several key objectives:

  1. Review Progress: The committee reviewed the effectiveness of ongoing efforts against the Colorado Beetle, particularly focusing on crop inspections and monitoring initiatives to evaluate their success.
  2. Analyze Data and Findings: Recent data collected through meteorological monitoring and flight behavior observations was discussed to understand their implications for pest control strategies.
  3. Funding and Resource Allocation: The group reviewed the funding structure, affirming the contributions from Jersey, Guernsey, and France, ensuring all resources support the campaign efficiently.

 

A representative of the Regional Directorate for Food, Agriculture and Forestry (DRAAF) - Normandy (France) provided a comprehensive overview of the Colorado Beetle campaign in France, including its regulatory framework, alert plan, and the Channel Island/Normandy Inspector Service. The evolution of the campaign since 2018 was discussed, including alterations in survey zones and methods. The results of the 2025 campaign were encouraging, with a noted decrease in average infestation rates in Normandy compared to the previous year, although the meteorological conditions were similar. Surveillance reports from Jersey and Guernsey indicated successful monitoring efforts. The United Kingdom reported similar success, noting no live beetles being detected since summer 2023.

 

The next meeting is scheduled for the 1st of December 2026 in Paris.