(1)

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019 (2) establishes, on the basis of a preliminary risk assessment, a list of high risk plants, plant products and other objects.

(2)

Following a preliminary assessment, 34 genera and one species of plants for planting originating from third countries are provisionally listed in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019 as high risk plants. One of the listed genera is Fagus L.

(3)

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1213 (3) sets out the phytosanitary measures for the introduction into the Union territory of certain plants, plant products and other objects, which have been removed from the Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019, but for which phytosanitary risks are not yet fully assessed. This is because one or more pests hosted by those plants are not yet included in the list of Union quarantine pests of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 (4), but they may fulfil the conditions to be included in that list following a further complete risk assessment.

(4)

On 16 June 2022, the United Kingdom (5) submitted to the Commission a request for export to the Union of the following plants for planting (‘the relevant plants’):

That request was supported by the relevant technical dossier.

(5)

On 27 June 2023, the European Food Safety Authority (‘the Authority’) adopted a scientific opinion as regards the risk assessment of the relevant plants originating in the United Kingdom (6). The Authority identified Phytophthora ramorum (non-EU isolates), Thaumetopoea processionea, Meloidogyne mali and Phytophthora kernoviae, as pests relevant for those plants.

(6)

The Authority evaluated the risk mitigation measures described in the dossier for the identified pests. It concluded that the likelihood that the relevant plants are free from those pests is high, provided the relevant risk mitigation measures are applied.

(7)

On the basis of that opinion, the phytosanitary risk arising from the introduction into the Union territory of the relevant plants is considered to be reduced to an acceptable level, provided that appropriate measures are applied to address the risk of pests related to those plants.

(8)

The measures described by the United Kingdom in the technical dossier are considered sufficient to reduce the risk arising from the introduction into the Union territory of the relevant plants to an acceptable level. Those measures should therefore be adopted as phytosanitary import requirements to ensure the phytosanitary protection of the Union territory from the risk arising from the introduction of the relevant plants into it.

(9)

The phytosanitary risk arising from the introduction into the Union territory of fifteen-year-old bare-rooted plants for planting of Fagus sylvatica is considered to be lower than or similar to the risk arising from the introduction of Fagus sylvatica plants for planting of the same age in growing medium.

(10)

Consequently, plants for planting of Fagus sylvatica that are up to 15 years old, with a maximum diameter of 80 mm, should no longer be considered high risk plants.

(11)

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(12)

Phytophthora ramorum (non-EU isolates) and Thaumetopoea processionea are listed as Union quarantine pest and protected zone quarantine pest respectively, in Annexes II and III to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072.

(13)

Phytophthora kernoviae is not yet included in the list of Union quarantine pests of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072. An updated complete pest risk assessment needs to become available, to determine whether it fulfils the conditions in order to be listed in Annex II to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072, and whether the relevant plants, originating in the United Kingdom, are to be listed in Annex VII to that Regulation, together with the respective specific requirements.

(14)

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1213 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(15)

Meloidogyne mali is not included in the list of Union quarantine pests. A pest risk analysis for that pest was published by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization in September 2017 (7). It was concluded that the pest should not be regulated as a Union quarantine pest nor as a Union regulated non-quarantine pest, because although it has been present in certain Member States for a long time without official control measures, the phytosanitary risk arising from it in those Member States is considered low. For that reason, no import requirements are necessary with respect to that pest.

(16)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee for Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,