Assignment

This assessment is a follow-up on the assessment ‘A rapid assessment – future regulatory status of Phytophthora ramorum’ (SLU UA 2018.2.6-648) delivered on February 20, 2018. This document has been supplemented following additional questions from the Swedish Board of Agriculture and replaces the earlier submitted version.

Since 2002, P. ramorum has been regulated by a Commission Decision (2002/757/EC). The future regulatory status of this species is currently discussed and the designated annex working group (AWG) of COM has presented a proposal for potential future regulation of the pest (AWG, 2018).

The unit for risk assessment of plant pests at SLU has been given the assignment by the Swedish Board of Agriculture to evaluate the proposal and in particular to assess the following questions;

1) Regarding the motivation for the proposal concerning the risks associated with North American isolates to Europe. Is it only the risk of sexual reproduction that poses a threat? Page 2

2) Are there any evidence suggesting that North American isolates are already present in Europe? This is relevant in light of the proposal to list isolates of non-European origin as union quarantine pests and isolates of European origin as regulated non-quarantine pests. Page 3

3) Are the proposed requirements for wood in proportion to the risk the pathway pose, e.g. with regard to the information about the risk of spread in the AWG report? Page 3

4) Are the proposed requirements for bark in proportion to the risk the pathway poses? Page 4

5) Other comments? Page 4

6) What evidence constitutes the basis for the suggested heat treatment of 60 min at 55C and what is the associated uncertainty? Appendix 1, Page 8