New EU Funds for Research on Xylella Fastidiosa
The European Commission has announced new funds for research into Xylella fasÂtidiosa folÂlowÂing a workÂshop hosted by the European Food Safety Authority in Brussels. The two-day workÂshop aimed to address knowlÂedge gaps and research priÂorÂiÂties related to the bacÂterium, which has devÂasÂtated olive groves in Italy and has been disÂcovÂered in other parts of Europe.
Following a workÂshop hosted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) held in Brussels on November 12 and 13, 2015, the European Commission has announced that new funds are being made availÂable for research into Xylella fasÂtidiosa.
The two-day workÂshop aimed to examÂine the knowlÂedge gaps and research priÂorÂiÂties which were idenÂtiÂfied in EFSA’s sciÂenÂtific opinÂion pubÂlished earÂlier this year, and reitÂerÂated in the conÂcluÂsions of a workÂshop on methÂods to conÂtrol Xylella fasÂtidiosa held in Milan in July 2015.
On the secÂond day, a repÂreÂsenÂtaÂtive of the Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture announced the call for research proÂposÂals and invited parÂticÂiÂpants to apply for grants which would cover research on the preÂvenÂtion, detecÂtion, and conÂtrol of Xylella fasÂtidiosa.
Another aim of the announced scheme is to improve knowlÂedge about the bacÂterium, and specifÂiÂcally to shed light into its vecÂtors, interÂacÂtion with hosts, vecÂtor, and pathogens, and epiÂdemiÂolÂogy. The amount set aside is €7 milÂlion under Horizon 2020, the EU’s research and innoÂvaÂtion fundÂing scheme. The deadÂline for proÂposÂals is February 17, 2016.
Xylella fasÂtidiosa, a bacÂterium spread by insects, has been blamed for the devÂasÂtaÂtion of tens of thouÂsands of acres of olive groves in the Apulia region of South Italy. More recently, strains of the bacÂterium have been disÂcovÂered on the French island of Corsica, as well as in sevÂeral areas of France.
The European Union is the largest global proÂducer of olive oil, proÂducÂing 73 perÂcent of the world’s olive oil, while conÂsumÂing 66 perÂcent.
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