MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – EU response to the Scirtothrips aurantii infestation and citrus fruit imports from South Africa – E-000438/2025(ASW)

Regulation (EU) 2022/2389[1] on frequency rates, prescribes 100% identity and physical checks at import for host plants of Scirtothrips aurantii, except for those referred to in Annex I of that regulation.

The number of non-compliances at import is a criterion for deciding the frequency rates. Within the last 20 years there have been in total 12 non-compliances on eggplants, gourds, litchees, strawberries and cut flowers of gypsophila and lisianthus.

Mandatory cold treatment has been added to the EU import requirements as a measure to guarantee freedom from Thaumatotibia leucotreta in oranges. The EU follows a risk-based approach when setting EU requirements.

The existing scientific and technical evidence does not support an extension of that measure to other host plants and for other Union quarantine pests such as Scirtothrips aurantii.

The list of priority pests has been established by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/17022[2]. A scientific evaluation of all Union quarantine pests is ongoing.

Certification of imported consignments is required in line with the international phytosanitary standards. Detailed EU phytosanitary import requirements are in place, with compliance verified through Commission audits in third countries.

The EU-Southern African Development Community (SADC) Economic Partnership Agreement includes a chapter on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures[3], reaffirming the principles contained in the World Trade Organisation SPS Agreement, plus some reinforced transparency obligations.

As a result, phytosanitary certificates serve to guarantee amongst others that the fruits were inspected and found free from quarantine pests.

• [1] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/2389 of 7 December 2022 establishing rules for the uniform application of frequency rates for identity checks and physical checks on consignments of plants, plant products and other objects entering the Union. ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2022/2389/2024-05-01
• [2] Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/1702 of 1 August 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and of the Council by establishing the list of priority pests. ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2019/1702/oj
• [3]  Articles 59-67: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L:2016:250:FULL