EFSA Journal (Sep 2024)

Standard protocols for plant health scientific assessments

  • EFSA Panel on Plant Health (PLH),
  • Claude Bragard,
  • Paula Baptista,
  • Elisavet Chatzivassiliou,
  • Francesco Di Serio,
  • Paolo Gonthier,
  • Josep Anton Jaques Miret,
  • Annemarie Fejer Justesen,
  • Alan MacLeod,
  • Christer Sven Magnusson,
  • Panagiotis Milonas,
  • Juan A. Navas‐Cortes,
  • Stephen Parnell,
  • Roel Potting,
  • Philippe Lucien Reignault,
  • Emilio Stefani,
  • Wopke Van der Werf,
  • Antonio Vicent Civera,
  • Jonathan Yuen,
  • Lucia Zappalà,
  • Matteo Crotta,
  • Ewelina Czwienczek,
  • Ciro Gardi,
  • Agata Kaczmarek,
  • Virag Kertesz,
  • Andrea Maiorano,
  • Olaf Mosbach‐Schulz,
  • Marco Pautasso,
  • Giuseppe Stancanelli,
  • Franz Streissl,
  • Anastasia Terzidou,
  • Hans‐Hermann Thulke

DOI
https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8891
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 22, no. 9
pp. n/a – n/a

Abstract

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Abstract In accordance with the EFSA Strategy 2027 outlining the need for fit‐for‐purpose protocols for EFSA generic scientific assessments, the EFSA Panel on Plant Health (PLH Panel) developed standard protocols to harmonise the problem formulation process and outputs for mandates addressing recurrent scientific questions. Three types of recurring EFSA plant health mandates require generic scientific assessments: (i) pest categorisation; (ii) commodity risk assessment for the purpose of derogation to provisions of the EU plant health law and (iii) quantitative pest risk assessment. The three standard protocols are tailored to the appropriate level of detail and build on the existing guidance documents laying out the methods for conducting risk assessment in the plant health domain. To develop a standard protocol for pest categorisation, the PLH Panel adapted the latest version of the standard template reporting the evidence needs and the assessment questions to conclude whether a pest fulfils the criteria for being considered a potential quarantine pest for the EU. To develop a standard protocol for commodity risk assessment, the PLH Panel adapted the procedure and standard templates used for commodity risk assessment of high risk plants. To develop a standard protocol for quantitative pest risk assessments (qPRA), the Panel reviewed the existing guidance document on qPRA and the qPRAs published by the PLH Panel. The hierarchy of assessment questions and sub‐questions used were identified and extracted. Based on this, a hierarchically organised IT‐tool was formulated as protocol for the planning and documentation of future qPRAs.

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