Commodity risk assessment of Robinia pseudoacacia plants from Israel

The EFSA Panel on Plant Health was requested to prepare and deliver risk assessments for commodities listed in the relevant Implementing Acts as ‘High risk plants, plant products and other objects’ [Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019 establishing a provisional list of high risk plants, plant products or other objects, within the meaning of Article 42 of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031]. The current Scientific Opinion covers all plant health risks posed by bare rooted plants for planting of Robinia pseudoacacia (1 year old with a stem diameter of less than 2.5 cm) imported from Israel, taking into account the available scientific information, including the technical information provided by Israel by 26 December 2019. The relevance of an EU-quarantine pest for this opinion was based on evidence that: (i) the pest is present in Israel; (ii) R. pseudoacacia is a host of the pest, and (iii) the pest can be associated with the commodity. The relevance of this opinion for other non EU-regulated pests was based on evidence that: (i) the pest is present in Israel (ii) the pest is absent in the EU; (iii) R. pseudoacacia is a host of the pest; (iv) the pest can be associated with the commodity and (v) the pest may have an impact and can pose a potential risk for the EU territory. Two pests (one insect and one fungus, Euwallacea fornicatus and Fusarium euwallaceae) that fulfilled all criteria were selected for further evaluation. For the two selected pests, the risk mitigation measures proposed in the technical dossier from Israel were evaluated. Limiting factors in the effectiveness of the measures were documented. For the selected pests an expert judgement is given on the likelihood of pest freedom taking into consideration the risk mitigation measures acting on the pest, including uncertainties associated with the assessment, therefore the Panel is 95% sure that 9,950 or more plants per 10,000 will be free from these two pests.