The globalisation of trade combined with the boom in travel and movement of people means that plant pests can travel from one side of the globe to the other in a matter of days. So how do risk assessors and plant health officers keep track of the pests of tomorrow? The answer is horizon scanning.
In collaboration with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and EU Member States, EFSA screens media and scientific articles to identify new, emerging or recurring pests that might be of concern to the EU territory.
A monthly media newsletter published in the EFSA Journal highlights the most relevant news on plant pests worldwide. New pests identified through the monitoring are evaluated according to the risk they pose, and the information is shared with the European Commission and Member States. A second newsletter, focusing on scientific publications, is being developed and will also be published in the EFSA Journal.
Find out more by registering for EFSA’s special webinar on “Horizon scanning for plant health”. The webinar, to be held on 9 June, is the first in a series being hosted by EFSA’s plant health team to mark the International Year of Plant Health.
