Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1927 of 11 October 2022 establishing measures for the containment of Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Quaintance) within certain demarcated areas

This Regulation establishes measures for the containment of Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Quaintance) within the demarcated areas where its eradication is not possible.

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply: (1) ‘the specified pest’ means Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Quaintance); (2) ‘the specified plants’ means plants for planting of Citrus L., Fortunella Swingle, Poncirus Raf., and their hybrids, Ceratonia siliqua L., Cercis siliquastrum L., Clematis vitalba L., Cotoneaster Medik., Crategus L., Cydonia oblonga L., Diospyros kaki L., Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl., Ficus carica L., Hedera L., Magnolia L., Malus Mill., Melia L., Mespilus germanica L., Myrtus communis L., Parthenocissus Planch., Photinia Lindley., Prunus cerasus L., Prunus laurocerasus L., Psidium guajava L., Punica granatum L., Pyracantha M. Roem., Pyrus L., Rosa L., Vitis L., Wisteria Nutt., other than seeds, pollen and plants in tissue culture; (3) ‘the demarcated area for containment’ means an area listed in Annex I, where the specified pest cannot be eradicated; (4) ‘the pest survey card’ means the publication ‘Pest survey card on Aleurocanthus spiniferus and Aleurocanthus woglumi’ of the European Food Safety Authority .

The competent authorities shall establish the demarcated areas for containment of the specified pest consisting of an infested zone and a buffer zone, of a width of at least 2 km, surrounding the infested zone.

1 In the infested zones, the competent authorities shall ensure that one or more of the following measures are taken: (a) biological control, such as parasitoids, of the specified pest; (b) appropriate treatments against the specified pest; (c) pruning and destruction of the parts of the specified plants infested with the specified pest, after the application of the treatments provided for in point (b); (d) trapping of the specified pest, and, if the specified pest is detected, application of appropriate treatments.

2 Where the presence of the specified pest has been officially confirmed in the buffer zone, Articles 17 and 18 of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 shall apply.

3 Within the demarcated areas for containment, the competent authorities shall raise public awareness concerning the threat of the specified pest and the measures adopted to prevent its further spread outside of those areas. The competent authorities shall inform the general public and the professional operators of the delimitation of the demarcated area for containment.

1 The competent authorities shall carry out the surveys as provided for in paragraphs 2 and 3, taking into account the information referred to in the pest survey card.

2 They shall carry out annual risk based surveys for the presence of the specified pest in the areas of the Union territory, where the specified pest is not known to be present but could become established.

3 In the buffer zones of the demarcated areas for containment, they shall carry out annual surveys, as referred to in Article 19(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, to detect the presence of the specified pest. Those surveys shall include: (a) visual examinations, at appropriate times, to detect the specified pest or its symptoms; (b) trapping; (c) sampling and testing, in the case of plants showing symptoms of, or suspected infestation by, the specified pest. Those surveys shall be more intensive than the surveys referred to in paragraph 2, with a higher number of visual examinations and traps and, where appropriate, sampling and testing.

By 30 April of each year, Member States shall submit to the Commission and to the other Member States the results of the surveys carried out, in the preceding calendar year, pursuant to: (a) Article 5(2) of this Regulation, using one of the templates set out in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1231; (b) Article 5(3) of this Regulation, using one of the templates set out in Annex II to this Regulation.

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.