New EPPO PM 3 Standard on invasive alien plants
A new EPPO PM 3 (Phytosanitary Procedures) Standard has been adopted which describes inspection procedures for consignments of plants for planting imported with soil or other growing medium (and aquatic plants with water) to avoid the import of regulated invasive plants. The Standard does not cover inspection of seeds and plants for planting such as tubers, rhizomes imported as the commodity itself, without soil or growing medium, nor does it cover inspection of pests other than plants. The Standard describes (1) the inspection to check whether the plants for planting are regulated or prohibited as invasive alien plants, and (2) the inspection and sampling of soil or other growing medium associated with plants for planting to ensure it is free from invasive alien plant as contaminants. The Standard provides guidance that may be relevant to inspections for exports
Sources
EPPO (2024) PM 3/97 Inspection of consignments of plants for planting for invasive alien plants. EPPO Bulletin, 54(3), 274-288. https://doi.org/10.1111/epp.13033