The Panel on Plant Health of the European Food Safety Authority develops guidance for the assessment of environmental risks of plant pests
The Scientific Panel on Plant Health of the European Food Safety Authority provides independent scientific advice on the risks posed by organisms which can cause harm to plants, plant products or plant biodiversity in the European Community. This Panel identified the need for detailed guidance on how to assess the environmental aspect of risk assessment linked to plant health issues, in line with the scope of Council Directive 2000/29/EC, as there are currently neither guidelines, nor standardized methodology supporting this procedure.
In its mandate, the Panel is requested to:
- Review the current approaches and methodologies that assess environmental risks related to pests, including their strength and shortcomings within the EFSA context;
- Recommend methodology to prepare an environmental risk assessment of pests as well as management options in order to support the Panel’s guidance document on harmonised framework for pest risk assessment and in so doing prepare a list of the minimum data requirements.
Following the endorsement of the draft guidance document by the Panel, a public consultation will be launched in order to receive comments from the stakeholders and the scientific community. The delivery of the guidance document is expected by September 2011.
Sources
Personal communication with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) (http://registerofquestions.efsa.europa.eu/roqFrontend/?wicket