Laboratory proficiency tests are a great tool to assess the application of reference methods used by EU NRLs for the detection of quarantine fungal pathogens. At the end of each proficiency test, a report with the results will be sent to all participants and EU Commission. Proficiency tests are performed under accreditation according to the ISO 17043 standard.
EURL for fungi and oomycetes will organize at least one proficiency test per year for all EU NRLs, using morphological and molecular methods for pathogen detection.
ANSES offers Leila platform for the registration, organization and participation on proficiency tests. Access and more information about the platform is available in the following link. Guides and video tutorials are provided to help with the familiarization of the platform and for the creation of user accounts.
One of the EURL activities is to keep NRLs up to date about research, providing information on EU regulated fungal and oomycete plant pathogens.
To this aim, EURL will organize a one-day annual workshop to the EU NRLs and other invited researchers, about topics of interest in mycology and plant pathology, as well as EU regulations, biosecurity, pathogen outbreaks …
EURL for fungi and oomycetes is open to suggestions for the theme of the future workshops. Submission of topic suggestions can be sent through the formulary available in the EURL website.
EURL aims to support NRLs in the application of new diagnostic methods to detect quarantine fungal and oomycete species. In this section, diagnostic protocols will be available, indicating which ones have been validated by the EURL.
An annual training course will be organized for staff of EU NRLs, and if needed, from other laboratories and experts from third countries, with the aim to improve diagnostic skills. Training courses will be organized in our facilities, in the Mycology Unit of the ANSES Plant Health Laboratory, located in Nancy, France.
The scope of the trainings will cover from the diagnostic of a specific fungal or oomycete species, to the application of diagnostic methods such as real-time PCR, among others. The trainings will include theoretical and practical sessions, and will be organized for up to five or six participants per session, and several sessions if high demand.
List of EU quarantine pests
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2285
The first list of EU quarantine pests can be found in the "Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 of 28 November 2019 establishing uniform conditions for the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and the Council, as regards protective measures against pests of plants, and repealing Commission Regulation (EC) No 690/2008 and amending Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019".
However, in December 2021, the list of Union quarantine pests was updated with the "Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2285 of 14 December 2021 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 as regards the listing of pests, prohibitions and requirements for the introduction into, and movement within, the Union of plants, plant products and other objects, and repealing Decisions 98/109/EC and 2002/757/EC and Implementing Regulations (EU) 2020/885 and (EU) 2020/1292", as well as the regulated non-quarantine pests (RNQPs) list.
Prior the implementation of the new Plant Health Law, Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, a list of 20 priority pests was released on the 1st of August 2019 : "Commission Delegated Regulatio/n (EU) 2019/1702 of 1 August 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and of the Council by establishing the list of priority pests".
More information: https://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/plant_health_biosecurity/legislation/new_eu_rules_en