Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 16
Approach of the European and Mediterranean
Plant Protection Organization to the Evaluation
and Management of Risks Presented
by Invasive Alien Plants
Sarah Brunel,
Françoise Petter, Eladio Fernandez-Galiano, and Ian Smith
Abstract
Invasive alien plants may be introduced intentionally with trade (80%
of current invasive alien plants in Europe were introduced as ornamental or agri-
cultural plants) or unintentionally (as contaminants of grain, seeds, soil, machinery
etc., or with travellers). Preventing the introduction of invasive alien plants is
considered more cost-effective, from both environmental and economic points of
view, than managing them after introduction. Pest risk analysis (PRA) standards
have been developed by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and
the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) to allow
assessment of the phytosanitary risk presented by invasive alien plants, and the
development of appropriate measures to prevent their introduction and spread.
These measures may in turn have an impact on international trade, and the obli-
gations arising from trade agreements have also to be taken into account when
phytosanitary measures are established. PRA basically consists in a framework
for organizing biological and other scientific and economic information to assess
risk. This leads to the identification of management options to reduce the risk to an
acceptable level. Within the EPPO context, the results of these PRAs are translating
into recommendations for countries to implement their national regulations. This
article gives an overview of the international framework for regulation of invasive
alien plants under the IPPC. It then presents the approach followed by EPPO for
the evaluation and management of risks presented by such plants, as well as its
application.
Keywords
European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization
Pest risk
analysis
S. Brunel(
), F. Petter, E. Fernandez-Galiano, and I. Smith
European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO), 1 rue Le Nôtre, 75016
Paris, France 33-1-42-24-89-43,
brunel@eppo.fr
