`EU Approves Measures to Combat Xf - Olive Oil Times
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EU Approves Measures to Combat Xf

By Isabel Putinja
Apr. 29, 2015 10:45 UTC
Summary Summary

The European Union has approved rein­forced mea­sures pro­posed by the European Commission to pre­vent the spread of Xylella fas­tidiosa (Xf), includ­ing the destruc­tion of infected plants and strict import con­di­tions for sus­cep­ti­ble plants within the EU. The deci­sion comes after the infec­tion of over 74,000 acres of olive trees in South Italy and the recent dis­cov­ery of an infected cof­fee plant in France, prompt­ing the EU Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed to endorse the new mea­sures at a meet­ing on April 28, 2015.

The European Union (EU) has approved rein­forced mea­sures pro­posed by the European Commission to pre­vent the spread of Xylella fas­tidiosa (Xf).

A European Commission press release dated April, 28 2015 reports that at a meet­ing ear­lier that day of the EU Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed made up of experts from the 28 EU mem­ber states, new mea­sures were endorsed to address the threat posed to the EU by the spread of the Xylella fas­tidiosa bac­terium.

The new mea­sures call for:

  • The destruc­tion of all infected plants, includ­ing those within a 100-meter radius.
  • Containment mea­sures in the entire Italian province of Lecce where erad­i­ca­tion is not pos­si­ble.
  • The removal of all infected plants within a 20-km zone adja­cent to the Italian provinces of Brindisi and Taranto and the test­ing of other plants within a 100-meter radius.
  • Strict con­di­tions for the import and trans­port within the EU of plants sus­cep­ti­ble to the bac­terium.
  • A ban on the import of cof­fee plants from Honduras and Costa Rica.
  • The report­ing of any new out­breaks, fol­lowed by an offi­cial sur­vey and imme­di­ate demar­ca­tion of the infested area.

Following the infec­tion of over 74,000 acres of olive trees in the Apulia (Puglia) of South Italy by the deadly bac­terium which is spread by insects and the recent dis­cov­ery of an infected cof­fee plant in France, the new mea­sures were endorsed after an ear­lier meet­ing of the EU expert com­mit­tee failed to arrive at a con­sen­sus.


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