To improve preparedness of the EU Member States against the introduction of Xylella fastidiosa (Xf), EU emergency legislation has been introduced, which includes requirements to protect against introductions from non-EU countries, as well as from those parts of the EU where it is has been detected.

New requirements for imports of non-EU plants have been introduced and movements of ‘specified plants’ (which includes the confirmed hosts of Xf in the EU and further afield) are only possible from areas in the EU where the pathogen is present if stringent conditions are met.In the general organization of the EU phytosanitary system, the national plant protection organizations of the member states are the main part of the official services for the implementation of such provisions.

This implies that the effectiveness of the quarantine program relies on (i) coordinated measures adopted by the Member States; (ii) harmonized practical guidelines for the implementation of the EU decisions; (iii) updated information on the susceptible hosts and on the phytosanitary status of the country of origin; (iv) suitable diagnostic tools for early detection; and (v) trained personnel, at different level, capable of organizing and performing efficient surveillance programs.

An important ambition of the project is to contribute to the capacity building of the human resources involved at international and national level in the biosecurity plan.