Introduction

The advisory was prompted by a request from an American organization to the NPPO (part of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) for permission to import memorial wreaths. These wreaths commemorate American soldiers who died in World War II and are buried in South Limburg. The wreaths are made from branches of the conifer Abies balsamea . Living plants and plant parts of this species are subject to an import ban in the European Union (EU) due to phytosanitary risks.

At the request of the NPPO, BuRO has mapped out which (potential) quarantine organisms could be transported along with the wreaths. BuRO has taken into account the risk-mitigation measures taken prior to export and assumes that the wreaths will be destroyed one week after laying. BuRO has also assessed the risk of these organisms establishing themselves in the Netherlands after import.

Results
The risk of introducing (potential) quarantine organisms via the wreaths has been assessed as small, but cannot be completely ruled out for some organisms. These organisms include the bark beetles (Scolytinae) Cryphalus ruficollis, Crypturgus borealis, Pityophthorus balsameus, P. cariniceps, P. opaculus, P. puberulus, P. pulicarius, and Scolytus piceae, and the moths (Lepidoptera) Lambdina fiscellaria and Orgyia leucostigma.

NPPO decision
Based on BuRO's risk assessment, the NPPO has decided to allow the import of the wreaths, taking into account the recommended measures to minimize the risk of introducing (potential) quarantine organisms.