EUROPEAN COMMISSION HEALTH AND CONSUMER PROTECTION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL Directorate D - Food and Veterinary Office DG(SANCO)/1015/2000 - MR final Report ON A MISSION CARRIED OUT IN GREECE FROM 5 TO 10 MARCH 2000 IN ORDER TO AUDIT THE PLANT HEALTH SYSTEM IN THE POTATO SECTOR Please note that certain comments from the Greek authorities have been included in the text of the report in bold, italic type or as footnotes. 06/07/00 - 42125 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................... 1 2. MISSION DETAILS............................................................................................... 1 3. OBJECTIVES OF THE MISSION.......................................................................... 2 4. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE MISSION...................................................................... 2 5. BACKGROUND..................................................................................................... 2 5.1. Potato production in Greece........................................................................... 2 5.2. Potato trade in Greece.................................................................................... 3 5.3. Previous missions concerning potatoes ........................................................... 3 6. MAIN FINDINGS................................................................................................... 4 6.1. Plant health system in Greece ......................................................................... 4 6.1.1. Structure of the plant health system .................................................. 4 6.1.2. Human and financial resources.......................................................... 5 6.1.3. Internal or external assessment of the institution's work .................... 5 6.1.4. Transposition and enforcement of legislation..................................... 5 6.1.5. Contingency plans............................................................................. 6 6.2. Seed potatoes in Greece................................................................................. 6 6.2.1. Potato breeding and seed production ................................................ 6 6.2.2. Plant health in seed potatoes ............................................................. 7 6.3. Potatoes other than seed in Greece................................................................. 8 6.3.1. Production methods of ware and other potatoes................................ 8 6.3.2. Lasithi Plateau .................................................................................. 8 6.3.3. Potato growing area in Achaia ......................................................... 9 6.3.4. General organisation of plant health surveys...................................... 9 ii 6.3.5. Situation of specific quarantine pests................................................. 9 6.3.6. Marketing of ware potatoes ............................................................ 12 6.4. Inspection of imported potatoes ................................................................... 13 6.4.1. Imported seed potatoes................................................................... 13 6.4.2. Imported ware potatoes.................................................................. 13 6.5. Laboratories for quarantine diseases of potato.............................................. 14 6.5.1. Benaki Phytopathological Institute.................................................. 14 6.5.2. Facilities in Heraklion, Crete........................................................... 15 7. CONCLUSIONS................................................................................................... 17 7.1. Plant health system in the potato sector ........................................................ 17 7.2. Seed potatoes in Greece............................................................................... 17 7.3. Potatoes other than seed in Greece............................................................... 17 7.4. Inspection of imported potatoes ................................................................... 19 7.5. Laboratories for quarantine diseases of potatoes........................................... 19 8. CLOSING MEETING........................................................................................... 20 9. RECOMMENDATIONS....................................................................................... 21 Abbreviations used in the report: FVO European Commission Health And Consumer Protection Directorate-General Directorate D - Food and Veterinary Office CCA Central Competent Authority ("single and central authority" for plant health as understood in Article 1 of Council Directive 77/93/EEC) ETHIAGE National Agricultural Research Institute C.m.s. Clavibacter michiganensis (Smith) Davies et al. ssp. sepedonicus (Spieckermann & Kotthoff) Davies et al. (= pathogenic agent for potato ring rot) R.s. Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Yabucchi et al. (=pathogenic agent for potato brown rot and tomato bacterial wilt) G.r. Globodera rostochiensis (Wollenweber) Behrens (= Golden potato cyst nematode) G.p. Globodera pallida (Stone) Behrens (= White potato cyst nematode) iii 1. INTRODUCTION The mission to Greece was the second in a series of inspections to all Member States to audit the potato sector plant health system, which is highly regulated. The assessment of a whole sector implies an increased workload for both the country visited and for the FVO inspection team. In order to cope with the considerable amount of information to be analysed, a pre-mission questionnaire was sent to Greece in advance of the mission. Unfortunately, the Greek plant protection authorities did not provide an exhaustive reply to this questionnaire. 2. MISSION DETAILS The mission in Greece took place from 5 to 10 March 2000. The mission team comprised 3 inspectors from the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO), and 2 Member State experts. The inspection team was accompanied during the whole mission by a representative from the Greek Ministry of Agriculture. An opening meeting was held on 6 March 2000 with the central competent authority. At this meeting, the objectives of, and itinerary for, the mission were confirmed by the inspection team. A closing meeting with the central competent authority was held on 10 March 2000. The following sites were visited: COMPETENT AUTHORITY VISITS Competent authority Central 1 Regional 2 LABORATORY VISITS Central/reference 1 Other 2 PLANT HEALTH CONTROL SITES Harbour with potato imports 1 Potato import and packing establishment 1 Ware potato producers 2 Fruit and vegetable market 1 The above sites were located in the proximity of Athens, in Crete or in Peloponnes. It was not possible, within the scope of a one week mission, also to visit the North of Greece which also has substantial potato production and potato processing, and where in the prefecture of Ioannina an outbreak of brown rot was recorded in 1997; or to visit the island of Naxos, where the main seed production is. 1 3. OBJECTIVES OF THE MISSION The objectives of the mission were to assess (1) the performance of the various bodies involved in the national plant health system with reference to the potato sector, and (2) the implementation of the relevant EU legislation in this area. 4. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE MISSION The mission was carried out under the provisions of Article 19a of Council Directive 77/93/EEC1, last amended by Commission Directive 1999/53/EC2. The legislation (in addition to Council Directive 77/93/EEC) of particular relevance for this mission, was: – Council Directive 93/85/EEC3 on the control of potato ring rot, – Council Directive 98/57/EEC4 on the control of Ralstonia solanacearum, – Council Directive 69/465/EEC5 on the control of Potato Cyst Eelworm, – Council Directive 69/464/EEC6 on the control of Potato Wart Disease, – Commission Directive 93/50/EEC7 on the registration of producers, warehouses and dispatching centres. – Commission Decision 96/301/EC8 as last amended by Commission Decision 1999/842/EC9 on measures against brown rot in Egyptian export potatoes 5. BACKGROUND10 5.1. Potato production in Greece Out of Greece's 12.9 million hectares of land area only about 2.8 million hectares are arable. The area planted with potatoes in Greece is around 1 OJ No. L 26, 31.1.1977, p. 20 2 OJ No. L 142, 5.6.1999 3 OJ No. L 259, 18.10.1993, p. 1 4 OJ No. L 235, 21.8.1998, p. 1 5 OJ No. L 323, 24.12.1969, p. 3 6 OJ No. L 323, 24.12.1969, p. 1 7 OJ No. L 205, 17.8.1993, p. 22 8 OJ No. L 115, 9.5.1996, p. 47 9 OJ No. L 326, 18.12.1999, p. 68 10 Regarding statistical data in this and following chapters: If no reference is given in the text, the figures were provided by the competent authority in the questionnaire or during the mission. 2 50,000 ha producing about 1 mill t/year. The production is spread over the year depending on the region, with about 30% of the total Greek production harvested in the spring, 40% in the summer and 30% in the autumn/winter. The production is also geographically spread throughout the country. There are major production areas in West and Central Peloponnes (prefectures Ilia, Achaia, Arkadia and Messinia) and in Central Greece (prefectures Viotia and Evia). In the North there is substantial production in both Thrakia (prefecture Evros by the Turkish border) and Makedonia (prefectures Drama and Serres by the Bulgarian border). On the islands, the two eastern prefectures of Crete (Lasithi and Heraklion)