Polski
Issue 16/2025, From the European Commission
Quarantine pests in the EU: a new assessment of potential impacts
Nov
The Joint Research Center (JRC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) evaluated 46 pests on the Union’s Quarantine Agrophage List, using an updated model that combines economic, social and environmental impacts into a single value. Some of the organisms tested were found to have a greater potential impact than originally anticipated.
Quarantine pests in the EU
Quarantine pests are organisms that can cause significant losses in agriculture and forestry, so they are covered by special European Union regulations mandating mandatory control and notification of their occurrence.
The growing importance of quarantine plant agrophages is driven by the need to protect European agriculture, forestry and biodiversity. With increased trade and movement of goods, the risk of introducing pests into the EU is increasing significantly. In addition, the climate change currently observed may have a significant impact on the development of agrophages. Warmer winters and springs increase the chances of survival and development of pest species. We wrote more on this topic in a previous article: Impact of climate change on agriculture.
The European Union has established a List of Quarantine Agrophages capable of entering and establishing themselves in the EU. The list (UQP) contains more than 400 names of organisms that meet each of the following conditions:
- has been identified;
- does not occur in the territory or, if it does, is not widely distributed there;
- is able to enter the territory, settle and spread into it, or intensify its presence if it was already present;
- its introduction, establishment and spread would cause unacceptable economic, environmental or social consequences in territories where it has not previously occurred;
- feasible and effective measures are available to prevent the entry, establishment or spread of the pest in the territory and to limit its impact.
The European Union has established a list of priority agrophages. It includes pests with the greatest economic, environmental and social potential in the EU. This prioritization obliges member states to implement more stringent monitoring, surveillance and control measures, as well as to develop contingency plans and conduct awareness campaigns.
In 2019. EFSA and the JRC analyzed the presence and impact of 48 agrophages, 20 of which were listed as priority agrophages due to their high impact. The 2025 work updated the methodology and expanded the analysis to include all EU quarantine agrophages.
The results of the assessment carried out
Half of the 46 agrophages were not assessed as part of the work conducted in 2019. The agrophages were classified according to their potential to cause widespread damage to crops, forests and ecosystems across the EU.
The current study confirms, among other things, that Xylella fastidiosa, an insect-borne bacterium that attacks olive trees, citrus plants, vines and various ornamental plants, poses a major threat to crops, as in the 2019 assessment. In a full spread scenario, it could cause annual production losses (from orchards and crops) of €7.1 billion, putting more than 540,000 jobs at risk.
Another of the pests, Listronotus bonariensis, has significantly increased its impact. Known as the Argentine stalk shrew, it is an invasive insect whose larvae reduce the quality of pasture. This, in turn, negatively affects production on grazing farms.
In the case of forest pests, one of the most dangerous is Dendrolimus sibiricus – the Siberian silk moth, whose larvae feed on tree needles. Their feeding causes significant defoliation in natural and planted coniferous forests. Other agrophages with particularly high estimated impacts are
What is the significance of the survey conducted?
The results of the assessment were published in an update of the ranking of pests that can cause significant economic losses, threaten food security and damage the environment.
The results of the survey will provide a basis for supplementing the EU’s policy on priority agrophages and support the implementation of the Plant Health Law on protective measures against them and the protection of European agriculture, forestry and biodiversity.
The survey will also contribute to risk managers’ discussions on potential updates to the EU priority agrophage list. It will authorize national authorities across the Union to implement more stringent monitoring, surveillance and control measures, as well as to develop contingency plans and conduct simulation exercises.
Economic, social and environmental impacts
The methodology used in the assessment considers each of the potential economic, social and environmental impacts. For crop agrophages, Listronotus bonariensis and Popillia japonica are expected to outperform Xylella fastidiosa in terms of environmental impacts, but not in terms of economic and social impacts.
In terms of forest agrophages, Dendrolimus sibiricus is expected to have a significant environmental impact and the second largest social impact, but in terms of economic impact it falls to third place, after Agrilus planipennis and Agrilus anxius.
From the economic and environmental perspective of the EU, it is important for member states to take measures to control priority agrophages and, above all, to make every effort to limit their spread and minimize economic losses. To this end, member states develop and update a so-called contingency plan for each priority agrophage that may emerge and establish itself on its territory. This is a document containing information on decision-making processes, procedures and protocols to be followed in the event of official confirmation or suspicion of any of these agrophages. In Poland, the institution responsible for developing and updating contingency plans is the Chief Inspector of Plant Protection and Seed Inspection, and the minister responsible for agriculture is responsible for approving them.
MAIN PHOTO: Eric Prouzet/Unsplash
