Editorial 2023‐1

Abstract

The availability of up-to-date information is essential nowadays in every field, and this is even more the case with the intensive use of the internet and social media. This is certainly also applicable for the work area of EPPO, protecting plant health depends on up-to-date information on pest distribution and pest emergences to be ready for immediate action to prevent introduction and for effective eradication. This is also the case for information on plant protection products such as efficacy evaluation and resistance development. In this way EPPO contributes to allow farmers to control pests in their crops in a sustainable way. In its Strategic Plan 2021–2025, EPPO has a new Strategic Objective on communication and making information available to stakeholders. For many years EPPO has focussed on collection of information and making it available in Databases. For instance, EPPO Global Database (gd.eppo.int), the Database on Efficacy Evaluation of PPPs, the Database on resistance to plant protection products, the PRA Platform, and the Database on Diagnostic Expertise, have been developed and made available via the EPPO website (www.eppo.int). In recent years even more effort has been invested into making up-to-date information available and on effective communication e.g. the Platform on communication material. For EPPO, keeping information up to date is only possible if the newest information is shared with us, e.g. on new occurrences of pest in a country as in the authored papers in this issue on first records. Another example is having the right information available on identification as described in the article on Salvinia plants in trade. The same applies to the revision of existing EPPO Standards when new information becomes available or new aspects need to be incorporated. That is the case for the revision of several specific Standards on efficacy assessment and for the revision of several EPPO Diagnostic Protocols adopted by the EPPO Council in September 2022 and published in this issue. EPPO Diagnostic Protocols are regularly reviewed by EPPO Diagnostic Panels to ensure that they include new diagnostic tests and new validation data available from research. As they are widely used by laboratories in the EPPO region, suggestions for corrections, clarifications or amendments are made by laboratories based on their experience. When this results in major changes the whole Standard will be revised and published. When limited amendments are needed, addenda and corrigenda are published as is the case in this issue. The same applies to other EPPO Standards that are reviewed by EPPO Panels. EPPO is grateful for the very valuable feedback received and for all experts and member countries supplying EPPO with new information as it ensures that Standards and Databases are as up to date and as accurate as possible. EPPO will continue to keep its information up to date with the assistance of many experts, National Plant Protection Organizations and other authorities.