Developing innovative phytosanitary treatments for regulated plant pests to support safe international trade

Effective plant health measures play a vital role in protecting agriculture and supporting global food security, safeguarding the environment, forests, and biodiversity, and enabling safe international trade. Among these measures, (post-harvest) phytosanitary treatments [[ Treatment (as phytosanitary measures) is the official procedure for killing, inactivating, removing, rendering infertile or devitalizing regulated pest. IPPC Secretariat. 2024. Glossary of phytosanitary terms. International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 5. Rome. FAO on behalf of the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention]] — such as vapour, heat, cold, irradiation, and controlled atmosphere — are critical tools to prevent the introduction and spread of regulated plant pests[[ A pest is defined here as any species, strain or biotype of plant, animal or pathogenic agent injurious to plants or plant products (EU Regulation 2016/2031)]] through imported goods.

However, the current range of available phytosanitary treatments remains limited. In many cases, existing methods lack proven efficacy against specific pests, or scientifically sound protocols are unavailable. Moreover, practical challenges related to the implementation, scalability, potential health and environmental impact of these treatments often hinder their widespread adoption.

This action aims to stimulate innovation in phytosanitary (post-harvest) treatment solutions[[ See ISPM 28. 2007. Phytosanitary treatments for regulated pests. Rome, IPPC, FAO]] to be used in trade.

Proposals should:

• develop innovative, cost-effective (post-harvest) phytosanitary treatment(s) to prevent the introduction of pests through imports, with a specific focus on EU quarantine pests[[ EU Regulation 2016/2031 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/2031/oj]];(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)
• test and validate the proposed treatment(s) considering economic, technical, human health and environmental dimensions;
• asses the cost-effectiveness, feasibility, scalability and practical applicability of the proposed treatment(s) under operational conditions;
• evaluate efficacy and specificity of the treatment(s), establishing scientifically sound and user-friendly protocols and operational guidelines to ensure consistent application, safety and regulatory compliance.

Proposals should either address Area A: treatment(s) applicable to wood and wood products or Area B: post-harvest treatment(s) for fruits and vegetables. The area (A or B) should be clearly indicated on the application.

Proposals may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) to, for instance, test and demonstrate the innovative treatments solutions in diverse contexts involving SMEs.

The projects under this topic are relevant to the EU policies related to the common agricultural policy, align with the Vision for Agriculture and Food, and support Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 on protective measures against pests of plants.