Phytosanitary Measures Research Articles

The negative impact of disintegration on trade: The case of Brexit

Using firm-level export and import transactions and by applying an event study methodology, we quantify the impact of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU’s single market and customs union on Spain–UK trade flows. We find that Spanish exports and imports to the UK decreased by 24% and 27%, respectively, compared to the period before the Brexit referendum. The probability of Spanish exporters and importers starting a trade relationship with the UK decreased and the probability of ending one increased. Products subject to sanitary and phytosanitary measures, stringent rules of origin, and whose technical standards had not been harmonized before disintegration experienced a stronger decline in trade flows. Large firms faced a more severe decrease in exports than small ones after disintegration.

Pine wilt disease: A global threat to forestry

AbstractPines are the most economically important trees in the world and, together with eucalyptus, they dominate commercial forests. But the success of a relatively small number of widely planted species, such as Pinus pinaster, the maritime pine, comes at a price. Pines are attractive to damaging pathogens and insect pests, including the pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, the causal agent of pine wilt disease (PWD). Originally described in Japan, PWD has caused widespread destruction to forests in countries such as China, Taiwan, Portugal, Spain and the United States. PWN causes irreparable damage to the vascular system of its pine hosts, leading to mortality within 3 months. Pine sawyer beetles (Monochamus spp.) are key vectors of PWD, introducing the PWN to healthy trees during feeding. Other organisms contribute to PWD spread and development, including bacteria, fungi and bark beetles. Control measures include tree felling to prevent vector transmission of PWN, insecticide treatments, trapping of Monochamus spp. and tree breeding for plant resistance. The PWN is a quarantine pathogen and subject to regular legislation and phytosanitary measures aimed at restricting movement and preventing introduction to new areas. Current research is investigating the use of biopesticides against PWN and Monochamus spp. This review examines the biology, epidemiology, impact and management of PWD through published research, grey literature and interviews with people directly involved in the management of the disease in Portugal.

Molecular detection of Citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd), Citrus viroid-III (CVd-III), and Citrus viroid-IV (CVd-IV) in Palestine

Citrus hosts various phytopathogens that have impacted productivity, including viroids. Missing data on the status of viroids in citrus in Palestine were not reported. This study was aimed to detect any of Citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd), Citrus viroid-III (CVd-III), and Citrus viroid-IV (CVd-IV) in the Palestinian National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) germplasm collection Field inspections found symptoms such as leaf epinasty; vein discoloration, and bark cracking on various citrus varieties. RT-PCR revealed a significant prevalence of CVd-IV; CEVd and CVd-III (47%, 31%, and 22%; respectively). CVd-III variants with 91.3% nucleic acid sequence homology have been reported. The sequence of each viroid were deposited in GenBank as (OP925746 for CEVd, OP902248 and OP902249 for CVd-III-PS-1 and -PS-2 isolates, and OP902247 for CVd-IV). This was the first to report three of citrus viroids in Palestine, appealing to apply of phytosanitary measures to disseminate healthy propagating materials free from viroids.

Evaluation of pests affecting maize imported across Malawi borders

Cross-border trade is one of the major factors that puts maize at risk as it creates pathways for spread of different maize pests in Malawi. This study was carried out to identify pests associated with imported maize in order to improve phytosanitary measures and reduce the introduction of pests. Random sampling technique was used to collect imported maize at selected borders and commercial cities with the aim of identifying pests present during importation. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in the population of insect pests before and after incubation in all the surveyed districts. Significant differences were observed after incubation for larger grain borer (LGB) and common maize weevil. The highest percentage infestation (32%) of living LGB was recorded in Karonga and the least in Mzuzu (p<0.05). On the other hand, for maize weevil, the highest percentage infestation (20%) was recorded in Nkhatabay while the least was observed in Lilongwe district (p<0.05). Common fungal pathogen species isolated included Fusarium (70%), Aspergillus (29%) and Penicillium (1%). The highest percentage of kernel infection with Fusarium sp. was recorded in Dedza and Lilongwe while for Aspergillus sp. were in Mzuzu. The Aspergillus sp. isolated were A. niger (29%), A. flavus (22%) and A. parasiticus (5%) while Fusarium sp. isolated was Fusarium verticilloides. The study provided the status and causes of storage losses by various pests on maize. It is recommended that the phytosanitary system present at various Malawi borders where maize is imported should be strengthened. This can be achieved through human and infrastructure capacity building, strict compliance with importation regulations and improved funding of organizations mandated to ensure phytosanitary compliance. Key words: Aspergillus sp., consignment, food security, grain storage, random sampling, sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

Xanthomonas citri pv. citri Findings in Citrus Fruits Imported in the Netherlands

Xanthomonas citri pv. citri and pv. aurantifolii are responsible for citrus bacterial canker. The trade of citrus fruit is recognized as one of the seven X. citri pv. citri introduction pathways. Under the current European Union phytosanitary measures, the likelihood of these X. citri pathovars being introduced into the Mediterranean region via infected fruit is rated as unlikely. To closely monitor the commercial trade flow of citrus fruit, imported lots that contained fruits with citrus bacterial canker symptoms were quarantined, and a sample was sent for laboratory analysis. Survey results revealed the presence of viable and highly pathogenic X. citri pv. citri isolates in 97 infected lots between 2013 and 2022, whereas X. citri pv. aurantifolii was never found. These X. citri pv. citri-infected lots primarily concerned Citrus latifolia (64), C. hystrix (17), and C. grandis (11) fruits, mainly from South America but also from several Asian countries. Additionally, a genetic characterization of these X. citri pv. citri isolates demonstrated that, although they originated from different countries, years, and Citrus species, they were all highly related, with average nucleotide identity scores ranging from 99.98 to 100%. These intercepted lots containing symptomatic citrus fruits due to the presence of X. citri pv. citri underlines the importance of continued vigilance by both the exporting and importing countries. Import inspections of the citrus fruit trade flow for the presence of citrus bacterial canker symptoms and subsequent laboratory testing remain significant tools for assessing the long-distance dispersal of X. citri pv. citri.

Agricultural Pest Detection Methods and Control Measures Combining Deep Learning Algorithms

Abstract Agricultural pests and diseases critically impact the quality and yield of crops, thereby underscoring the practical importance of their automatic monitoring, identification, and timely management in agricultural production. This study develops a targeted detection model using a deep learning approach, specifically by enhancing the Faster R-CNN algorithm. Modifications were implemented in three key areas of the basic Faster R-CNN: First, the DIOU-NMS technique was employed to optimize the ancillary network during the feature extraction phase. Secondly, an attention mechanism along with an SE module was integrated within the DIOU-NMS to augment the network’s capability. During the training phase, optimization was facilitated through stochastic gradient descent. The efficacy of the refined Faster RCNN model was established via ablation studies, and its performance was benchmarked against existing methodologies for small and general target detection. Results indicate that the enhanced Faster R-CNN framework surpasses conventional small target and generic detection models in accuracy, achieving a 6.4% higher detection rate for various pest categories compared to its predecessor. The findings affirm the potential of the advanced Faster R-CNN in effective agricultural pest detection. Furthermore, this paper advocates a tripartite strategy for pest management, encompassing phytosanitary measures, agricultural interventions, and chemical controls.

АНАЛІЗ ЗОВНІШНЬОЇ ТОРГІВЛІ ТОВАРАМИ УКРАЇНИ З КРАЇНАМИ ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКОГО СОЮЗУ

The article is devoted to the study of foreign trade in goods of Ukraine with the countries of the European Union (hereinafter – the EU) with the identification of priority partners for the purpose of diversification and activation of foreign trade cooperation. It was emphasized that the foreign trade of Ukraine is dominated by trade in goods, where a negative trade balance is formed, in particular, in trade with EU countries. In order to determine the key consumers of domestic goods among the EU-27 countries, an ABC analysis was conducted based on the volume of goods exported to them by Ukraine in 2016–2021. The distribution of EU countries into groups was carried out as follows: group A – countries that account for a significant volume of exports of goods by Ukraine (about 80% of the total volume); group B – countries with an average level of export supplies of goods from Ukraine (about 15%); group C – countries with a small volume of exports of goods from Ukraine (about 5%). ABC-analysis is complemented by XYZ-analysis, which allows to analyze and forecast the stability of export of goods to EU countries. Based on the results of the ABC-XYZ analysis, a conclusion was made regarding the expediency of supporting the volume and dynamics of trade cooperation with key EU partner countries in the export of goods – Poland, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, and the need to intensify efforts to increasing the export of goods to countries that in the medium term have the potential to become attractive markets for the consumption of domestic products – France, Bulgaria, Belgium, Lithuania, and to a lesser extent – Denmark, Greece and Latvia. At the same time, it is noted that the vast majority of these countries are highly developed economies of the European Union, and trade in goods with them for Ukraine is disparate. Therefore, it is important to continue cooperation with the EU regarding the signing of the Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products, recognition of the equivalence of sanitary and phytosanitary measures for opening markets, and simplifying the export of food and agricultural products. It is also necessary to increase efforts to gradually open public procurement markets. The further liberalization of transport with the EU, the conclusion of agreements in the field of road, inland water and railway transport are also important.

Evaluating the Impact of EU Non-Tariff Measures on Vietnam’s Textile Exports

With the development process and international economic integration, the importance of non-tariff measures (NTMs) was stimulated significantly in international trade. This shift has played a vital role in placing NTMs in the limelight of Vietnam’s exportation, particularly textile exports. The gravity model has been applied in this article to analyze the current regulations related to NTMs and to assess the impact of NTMs from the EU on textile exported products from Vietnam. The research findings have shown that technical barriers (TBTs) to trade are the most common and stringent regulations from the EU towards Vietnam’s textile exportation, while, sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPSs) are not statistically significant. There are other types of NTMs (apart from SPSs and TBTs) that can increase export turnover. Based on these findings, the paper proposes some recommendations to enhance the exportation of textiles for the Vietnamese government and firms in the upcoming period.

Disciplining Health Regulations through the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures: Science and the Rule of Law

Abstract The World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) disciplines WTO Members’ health regulations to prevent their misuse for protectionist purposes. In doing so, its obligations reflect several elements of the rule of law, including legal certainty, non-arbitrariness and non-discrimination, as well as a recognition of the rights of individuals. Through its obligations of non-discrimination, transparency and scientific justification and the scope it leaves for Members to prioritise the protection of health over trade liberalisation, the SPS Agreement can be regarded as entailing a rule-of-law approach. However, cognisant of the limits to the rule of law when transposed to the international level, it is important to avoid an overly “judicialised” approach to the disciplines of the SPS Agreement, and in particular its reliance on scientific justification to prevent arbitrariness in sanitary and phytosanitary regulation. Otherwise, there is a risk of intruding too far into the regulatory autonomy of States, weakening the “compliance pull” of the agreement and thus inadvertently undermining the rule of law in this area. An approach that instead recognises the inherent subjectivity and uncertainty in science and respects Members’ divergent priorities in health regulation would go further in engendering support for the rules-based system of international trade.

The Impact of the SPS Agreement on Food Legislation of the Russian Federation

The paper analyzes the impact of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures on the food legislation of the Russian Federation. The author investigated the main provisions of this Agreement, and then analyzed how the member States of the World Trade Organization use the rules under consideration in law enforcement activities. The implementation of this international act is aimed, on the one hand, at the ability of States to take measures to protect humans and animals, and on the other hand, to ensure uniform market requirements. The approaches of States to the implementation of international law rules may be different and may depend on many factors, for example, whether countries are importers or exporters of food. The difference in approaches is also observed between developed and developing countries, which is manifested in different opportunities to defend the interests of the state in the framework of WTO disputes. The analysis of legislation and judicial practice allowed the author to conclude that the agreement for the member States may have both limiting and generating positive consequences. At the same time, the European Union and the Russian Federation are going in opposite directions. The EU actively protects its markets both by developing food legislation and by participating in disputes under the WTO mechanisms, while Russia does not show proper activity in law-making and law enforcement. The provisions of the Agreement related to the academic substantiation of decisions taken by States, as well as the use of a risk-based approach in public administration of the food sector are also implemented in different ways. The EU is building a system of food legislation based on risk-based decision-making by Member States, as well as taking into account the updating of scientific data. Russian legislation presents an unsystematic set of regulatory legal acts that fix the minimum requirements for food products.

Biorational control of corn leafhopper and activation of resistance with compounds from Morinda citrifolia.

Currently, the increasing productivity, garanee phytosanitary measures, and food security in plantations is a significant challenge. The potential of plant compounds in pests and diseases alternative control has been widely researched. This study is the first to investigate the use of the plant Morinda citrifolia L.(noni) for managing maize leafhoppers, a major issue in plantations. The effects of essential oil and octanoic acid on resistance induction were evaluated with quantification of phytoalexins, potential phytotoxicity, and toxicity to corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis. The chromatographic analysis identified octanoic acid as the primary compound, constituting 58.43% of the essential oil. The elicitor potential was more pronounced in plants treated with M. citrifolia compounds than in those treated with commercial resistance-activating products. The essential oil effectively controlled D. maidis, resulting in 50% mortality after 48 hours without damaging the leaf area. These findings highlight the potential of M. citrifolia in the biorational control of the stunting complex, with effective vector control and resistance induction.

A Study of the Toxic Effect of Plant Extracts against Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae).

The meadow spittlebug Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae) is distributed in several habitats worldwide and has been recently recognized as the main vector of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca. This bacterium has been associated with olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS) in the Salento Peninsula (Italy) and is responsible for extensive desiccation and die-off of olive trees. Current OQDS management strategies include the control of P. spumarius populations, mainly through the removal of weed hosts and insecticide treatments. In addition to the mandatory phytosanitary measures, the demand for new strategies compatible with integrated pest management is increasing. In this study, laboratory biological assays were performed to assess the potential toxic effect of vegetal formulations against P. spumarius adults. Two formulations were tested at different concentrations: Form A, an emulsion of 10% hot pepper-infused oil (Capsicum annuum subspecies Cayenna in olive oil) and Arabic gum in an aqueous solution of extracts of Salvia guaranitica, and Form B, an aqueous solution of extracts of Taxus baccata. Both Form A and B showed to be toxic against P. spumarius compared to the water control. The mean percentage of spittlebug mortality obtained with Form A one hour after treatments was dose-dependent; the lethal dose values were 0.13% (LD25), 0.36% (LD50), and 0.85% (LD75). At the same time, no significant differences in mortality rate were observed between the 0.75% treatment and the treatments with deltamethrin (about 90%). The mean percentage of spittlebug mortality obtained with Form B ranged from 21% to 53% one hour after treatment, but these values were significantly lower than those obtained with deltamethrin. The effectiveness of Form A on the P. spumarius population was also evaluated in the field. The averages of captures in the three experimental blocks were 1.8/trap for treated and 7.7/trap for untreated plots, and the spittlebug populations significantly decreased after treatments. Based on these results and the literature data, we hypothesize that the effectiveness of Form A is the result of the synergistic effect of all its components. No symptoms of phytotoxicity were recorded on olive trees treated with Form A, and the number of P. spumarius specimens collected on these plants was much lower than on untreated plants. These results suggest the potential use of Form A in the protection of olive trees. This vegetal formulation can thus be considered as a valid alternative to chemical insecticides for the control of the main vector of X. fastidiosa and could be integrated into a sustainable management system for OQDS.

Pest categorisation of Pestalotiopsis disseminata.

Following the commodity risk assessments of bonsai plants from China consisting of Pinus parviflora grafted on P. thunbergii performed by EFSA, the EFSA Plant Health Panel performed a pest categorisation of Pestalotiopsis disseminata, a clearly defined plant pathogenic fungus of the family Pestalotiopsidaceae. The pathogen has been reported on herbaceous, woody and ornamental plants causing symptoms such as leaf blight, shoot blight, seedling blight, pod canker, pre- and post-harvest fruit rot, and gummosis. Moreover, the fungus was reported as an endophyte on a wide range of asymptomatic hosts. The pathogen is present in Africa, North and South America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. It has been reported from the EU, with a restricted distribution (Portugal). There is a key uncertainty on the geographical distribution of P. disseminata in the EU and worldwide, because of the endophytic nature of the fungus, the lack of surveys and since the pathogen might have been misidentified based only on morphology and pathogenicity tests. The pathogen is not included in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072. This pest categorisation focuses on those hosts that are relevant for the EU and for which there is robust evidence that the pathogen was formally identified by a combination of morphology, pathogenicity and multilocus sequence analysis. Plants for planting, fresh fruits, bark and wood of host plants as well as soil and other plant growing media are the main pathways for the entry of the pathogen into the EU. Host availability and climate suitability factors occurring in parts of the EU are favourable for the establishment of the pathogen. Despite the low aggressiveness observed in most reported hosts, and the fact that P. disseminata may colonise plants as an endophyte, its introduction and spread in the EU may have an economic and environmental impact (with a key uncertainty) where susceptible hosts are grown. Phytosanitary measures are available to prevent the introduction and spread of the pathogen. The Panel cannot conclude on whether P. disseminata satisfies all the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for this species to be regarded as potential Union quarantine pest, because of the key uncertainties on the restricted distribution in the EU and the magnitude of the impact.

Formation of a unified regulatory space of the agricultural sector of Ukraine with the EU internal market: processes and problems

The article is devoted to summarizing achievements and miscalculations in terms of the formation of a unified regulatory space of the domestic agricultural sector and the European internal market since the second half of the 2010s, as well as assessing the possibilities of achieving their full equivalence. It was established that the unified regulatory space is formed by the following components: technical regulation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, safety of food products and animal feed. The contribution of the components of technical regulation to the formation of a domestic regulatory system equivalent to the basic European system of technical regulation is assessed. It is argued that during the research period, the national fund of standards expanded significantly (more than 25,000 standards), and almost ¾ of them are harmonized with European and world standards. It is noted that the Program of the Development of the Reference Base has not been fully implemented as a result of Russian aggression, and the certification of safety and quality systems, products, processes and services and personnel is carried out only by accredited conformity assessment bodies (CABs). It has been found that the accreditation of domestic CABs is carried out by the National Accreditation Agency of Ukraine, which in terms of accreditation interacts only with the signatories of international agreements on accreditation (EA MLA, ILAC MRA, IAF MLA). Since April 2016, state market surveillance has been carried out by the State Service of Food Safety and Consumer Protection. Special control regimes for manufactured products are based on the active implementation of certified safety and quality systems by producers of organic products and agricultural raw materials for the production of children's, dietary and special food products, as well as advanced management systems for the export of agricultural products to foreign markets. It has been established that Ukraine has ensured compliance with the European requirements of its own sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPM) in the field of agriculture and measures regarding the safety of food products and animal feed. This is evidenced by the following indicators: a total of 380 enterprises export agricultural products, of which 162 enterprises export food products. The fulfillment of the obligations stipulated by the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU has been systematized, which includes fulfilled obligations and intermediate results and totals 55 %. At the same time, the intermediate statuses of «Early» execution and «Advanced» execution are taken into account with weighting factors of 0.3 and 0.7, respectively. This assessment includes the following components: «perfect» performance is 30,4 %; «advanced» - 26.2 %; «early» stage – 21 %; fulfillment of obligations has not started – 20,8 %; the fulfillment of 1,6 % of the obligations has a critical inconsistency with the relevant norms of EU law. It was concluded that the activities related to the harmonization of domestic legal regulation of ensuring the quality and safety of products in agrofood chains to the practice of the European Union need to be intensified in order to complete it, as it will have a positive effect on the successful postwar recovery of the agricultural sector and the country as a whole. Key words: agricultural sector of Ukraine, EU internal market, unified regulatory space, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, food safety

The Pest Risk Reduction Scenario Tool (PRReSTo) for quantifying trade-related plant pest risks and benefits of risk-reducing measures

Plant pest risks posed by trade in agricultural commodities are managed through pest risk analysis which involves assessing risk and selecting phytosanitary measures to manage unrestricted risk if it is unacceptably high. Diverse measures can be used to reduce risk. However, calibrating risk management protocols with the level of unrestricted risk is challenging. Agreed methods and user-friendly tools for comparatively evaluating risk-reducing measures in different pest-host systems are lacking. Here, we describe the Pest Risk Reduction Scenario Tool (PRReSTo), a generic Bayesian network model that estimates likely infestation rates of host items in consignments. PRReSTo considers host items’ vulnerability to pest infestation, the pest abundance to which host items are exposed during production, and the individual and cumulative effects of risk-reducing measures aimed at either minimising host vulnerability, pest exposure or infestation rates. We apply a PRReSTo implementation developed for assessing trappable insect pests in horticultural produce to test its versatility. First, we evaluate likely (unrestricted) host infestation rates under different levels of pest exposure and host vulnerability. Next, we evaluate the adequacy of risk-reducing measures under different host infestation scenarios and acceptability thresholds. We find that equivalent risk reduction may be achieved by highly effective individual measures or combinations of measures in a phytosanitary systems approach. The current implementation of PRReSTo is supported by an open access web application to facilitate adoption as a scenario analysis and decision-support tool by industry and regulators.

Plant structural and storage glucans trigger distinct transcriptional responses that modulate the motility of Xanthomonas pathogens.

Some phytopathogens are outfitted with a broad and diverse repertoire of enzymatic systems that enable the breakdown and utilization of host polysaccharides as a source of carbon, energy, and stimuli. However, the functional assignment of these enzymatic systems and the influence of their products on modulating pathogen behavior during host colonization are yet poorly comprehended. In this study, we performed RNA-seq analyses to provide a comprehensive, genome-wide view of the transcriptional response of the model phytopathogen Xanthomonas citri pv. citri 306 (known as X. citri 306) to cellobiose, a component of structural β-1,4-glucans (majorly cellulose), and storage α-glucans, seeking to better understand how they are assimilated and the impacts of their sensing on bacterial behavior and physiology. Structural β-1,4-glucans and storage α-glucans (starch) are spatially discretized in the plant cell, therefore representing spatiotemporal references for the bacterium during host colonization. Combining transcriptional and genome mining analyses with gene knockout and cell motility assays, we show that X. citri 306 harbors molecular systems for the breakdown and assimilation of these carbohydrates, revealing that cellobiose upregulates genes related to flagellum assembly and type IV pili, inducing a higher motility state. In contrast, starch suppresses genes related to chemotaxis, flagellum assembly, and biofilm dispersion, decreasing motility. Taken together, these results unravel that, besides using structural β-glucans and storage α-glucans as sources of carbon and energy, Xanthomonas bacteria also sense them, adapting their metabolism and controlling transitions between higher and lower motility states for successful host colonization. IMPORTANCE Pathogenic Xanthomonas bacteria can affect a variety of economically relevant crops causing losses in productivity, limiting commercialization and requiring phytosanitary measures. These plant pathogens exhibit high level of host and tissue specificity through multiple molecular strategies including several secretion systems, effector proteins, and a broad repertoire of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). Many of these CAZymes act on the plant cell wall and storage carbohydrates, such as cellulose and starch, releasing products used as nutrients and modulators of transcriptional responses to support host colonization by mechanisms yet poorly understood. Here, we reveal that structural and storage β-glucans from the plant cell function as spatial markers, providing distinct chemical stimuli that modulate the transition between higher and lower motility states in Xanthomonas citri, a key virulence trait for many bacterial pathogens.

Climate change impacts the risk of invasion of eucalypt pests in Brazil

Abstract Identifying areas at high risk of invasion is considered an important step for prioritization of phytosanitary measures to prevent biological invasions. Because climate change is likely to affect species' habitat suitability, ideally this should be considered in invasion risk assessments. We evaluated whether climate change affects habitat suitability and invasion risk of eight potentially invasive Eucalyptus pests in Brazil: Eucalyptolyma maideni, Mnesampela privata, Ophelimus maskelli, Orgyia postica, Paropsis atomaria, Paropsisterna beata, Paropsisterna cloelia and Trachymela sloanei. The shifts in the distribution range varied depending on the species, year and climate change scenario. While a decrease in the distribution range was predicted for four species, an increase was predicted for two species. Moreover, a decrease and/or increase in distribution depending on the climate change scenario was predicted for two species. Increases in invasion risk were predicted in major Eucalyptus‐producing areas near international airports and high cargo volume seaports. Our study provides an important contribution to knowledge on the effects of climate change on the distribution of eight potentially invasive Eucalyptus pests and reinforces the need to consider the changes in species' habitat suitability in invasion risk assessments.

Pest categorisation of Pochazia shantungensis.

The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Pochazia shantungensis (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Ricaniidae) for the EU following commodity risk assessments of Malus domestica, Prunus persica, P. dulcis and Robinia pseudoacacia plants for planting from Türkiye in which P. shantungensis was identified as a pest that could potentially enter the EU. The native range of P.shantungensis is China (Shaanxi, Shandong and Zhejiang provinces), but around 2010, the species entered the Republic of Korea and rapidly spread. Small and localised populations were also recently found in Türkiye (Marmara) and southern Russia (Krasnodyarskiy kray). Within the EU, a few individuals have been recorded in Italy (Pistoia province, Tuscany), in one locality in southern France (Alpes-Maritimes), in the Netherlands (Western Netherlands) and in one garden in Germany (Baden-Württemberg) where it was eradicated. P. shantungensis is not listed in Annex II of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072. It is polyphagous, feeding on plants belonging to more than 200 species including many crop and ornamental plants. Economically important hosts in the EU include apple (M. domestica), citrus (Citrus spp.), walnut (Castanea sp.) and ornamentals such as hibiscus (Hibiscus spp.) and camellia (Camellia japonica), as well as forest trees, mostly deciduous. In the Republic of Korea, the species has one generation per year. It overwinters as eggs and goes through five nymphal instars. Its impact is due to oviposition obstructing the vascular system of its hosts, depletion of the host resources and egestion of honeydew promoting the development of sooty moulds. Plants for planting constitute the main pathway for entry into the EU and for spread. Climatic conditions in southern EU countries and host plant availability in those areas would allow establishment and spread. The introduction of P. shantungensis is expected to have an economic impact in the EU through the reduction in yield, quality and commercial value of fruits and ornamental plants. Phytosanitary measures are available to reduce the likelihood of entry and further spread. P.shantungensis meets the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for it to be regarded as a potential Union quarantine pest.

Pest categorisation of Didesmococcus unifasciatus.

The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Didesmococcus unifasciatus (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccidae) for the EU following commodity risk assessments of Malus domestica (apple), Prunus dulcis (almond) and P. persica (peach) plants for planting from Türkiye in which D. unifasciatus was identified as a pest that could potentially enter the EU. It was first described in Uzbekistan and is widely distributed in Central and Western Asia, including Türkiye (where it was recently reported as limited to the Hakkari and Diyarbakir regions in the Asian part of the country). It has not been reported within the EU. It is not listed in Annex II of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072. It completes one generation per year; a female lays between 1,500 and 2,400 eggs. It feeds on several important fruit trees of the family Rosaceae (e.g. P. dulcis, M. domestica), as well as Ficus carica and Ulmus sp. Most of its hosts are widely cultivated in the EU. Woody plants for planting and cut branches are the main potential pathways for entry of D. unifasciatus into the EU. Climatic conditions and availability of host plants would likely allow this species to establish and spread in southern parts of the EU. Just as in other invaded areas, the presence of many of its natural enemies in the EU is likely to prevent the scale from becoming an economic or environmental pest. Nevertheless, phytosanitary measures are available to reduce the likelihood of entry and spread. Considering the weight of evidence, D. unifasciatus does not meetall the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for this species to be regarded as a potential Union quarantine pest.

Do standards improve the quality of traded products?

AbstractWe examine whether standards raise the quality of traded products. Matching a panel of French firm–product–destination export data with a data set on sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade, we find that such quality standards enforced on products by destination countries: (i) favour the export probability of high‐quality firms provided that their productivity is high enough, (ii) raise the export sales of high‐productivity, high‐quality firms at the expense of low‐productivity and low‐quality firms and (iii) increase the quality supplied by firms if their productivity is high enough. We then develop a simple new trade model under uncertainty about product quality in which heterogeneous firms can strategically invest in quality signalling to rationalize these empirical results on quality and selection effects.