Plant health

Pests such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, nematodes, insects and mites can harm the health of plants.

The introduction and spread of plant pests, often through trade, is a serious threat to crops, forests, natural vegetation and landscape plants, which can have far-reaching economic, social and environmental consequences, with possible effects on human health.

In the European Union (EU), we have rules to prevent the introduction and spread of harmful plant pests originating from outside the EU, known as Union quarantine pests.

EFSA supports the EU’s decision-making on protective measures by identifying emerging threats to plants and inform ing the EU risk managers.

Our scientists also assess the probability of pests being introduced and spread, the possible impact on EU agriculture and the environment and the options for risk mitigation.

In addition, we help EU Member States prepare and design pest surveys to detect pests at an early stage after their emergence.

EFSA’s role

EFSA analyses and monitors risks to plant health to assist the European Commission and EU Member States in taking decisions to manage these risks such as through the development of preventive measures, early detection systems, and effective control strategies.

Our scientists evaluate for example potential threats posed by pests and diseases to plants, crops, and ecosystems.

Our expert Panel on Plant Health (PLH) is responsible for carrying out our risk assessments of plant pests. The Panel also carries out import commodity risk assessments for plants or plant products, assessing the risk of plant pests associated with the commodity and the efficacy of treatments and/or systems approaches.

Our experts assess the risk of a specific plant pest to the EU territory by carrying out pest categorisation and/or quantitative pest risk assessments or, in some cases, by evaluating pest risk assessments carried out by third parties. We carry out these assessments upon request by the European Commission, the European Parliament or EU Member States.

We also coordinate two networks of EU Member State institutions. The Scientific Network for Risk Assessment in Plant Health, established in 2007, facilitates the harmonisation of risk assessment practices and improves the exchange of information and data. The Scientific Network on Plant Pest Surveillance, established in 2023, provides training to its members  in pest surveillance methodologies to support the EU Member States in the planning and execution of pest surveys. 

Risk assessment for plant pests

One of the key tasks of the EFSA’s Plant Health Panel is to conduct pest risk assessments on emerging and regulated pests. Pest risk assessment is the intermediate stage of pest risk analysis (PRA) as defined by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)’s International standards for phytosanitary measures. This activity requires a wide range of expertise and the most up-to-date scientific knowledge and methods in order to provide high quality scientific advice to the risk managers in the European Union. It includes activities on pest risk assessment, priority pests and commodity risk assessment.
 

Pest surveillance

EU Member States need to be prepared for the increasing threat of plant pests. To help them plan their pest surveys, EFSA provides a toolkit that includes pest survey cards, survey guidelines, and statistical tools. The aim is to assist national authorities in carrying out plant pest surveys in their territories and to harmonise surveillance methods across the EU.

Horizon scanning for plant health

Horizon scanning for plant health through monitoring of the media and scientific articles indicating emerging threats from new and regulated pests. EFSA, in collaboration with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), screens online news in scientific media and other publications in order to provide timely information to EU risk managers on new, emerging or recurring pests that may be of concern to the EU territory. The main output of this activity is a monthly newsletter.

Xylella fastidiosa

Xylella fastidiosa is a bacterial plant pathogen transmitted by insects  feeding on xylem sap. It is associated with serious diseases in a wide range of plants around the world. For example, it causes Pierce’s disease in grapevine, citrus variegated chlorosis, phony peach disease, coffee leaf scorch, olive quick decline syndrome and other diseases that affect common trees such as plum, almond, oak and oleander.

EFSA has published numerous reports and scientific opinions on X. fastidiosa since the beginning of its first European outdoors outbreak in southern Italy in 2013, including a regularly updated host plants database and the organisation of a biennial conference . Full details of EFSA’s work in this area can be found in the “Completed work” section of this page.
 

EU framework

Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 (the Plant Health Law) lays down protective measures against the introduction into the European Union (EU) of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the EU. It lists harmful organisms that threaten plant health in the EU. The law became applicable from 14 December 2019.

For more information

European Commission: Plant Health and biosecurity