Helicoverpa (=Heliothis) armigera is currently placed on Annex I A II of Council Directive 2000/29/EC, indicating that it is considered to be relevant for the entire EU and that phytosanitary measures are required when it is found on any plants or plant products. EU Member states, in particular The Netherlands and United Kingdom, frequently intercept H. armigera on imported produce (especially Dianthus and Rosa cut flowers, Phaseolus, Pisum and Zea mays) and some ornamental cuttings. These imports often originate from Third Countries. However, H. armigera is already widely present in some EC members such as Greece, Portugal and Spain and present though less widespread in many more such as Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Lithuania. Furthermore, H. armigera is capable of migrating over long distances during late summer, leading to transient findings all over Europe. Therefore the current EU import regulations require modification to better take into account the current status of H. armigera in Europe and pathways for its introduction and spread. For all of these reasons the justification for classifying H. armigera as a I A II pest should be reexamined.