Europhyt
European Union Notification System for Plant Health Interceptions
Description
EUROPHYT, an amalgamation of the words “European” and “Phytosanitary”, is a notification and rapid alert system supporting the interception of plant consignments of plants and plant products imported into the European Union or traded within the European Union itself due to health concerns. EUROPHYT is an essential support tool for the implementation of preventative measures, ensuring that data on risks to plant health related to the trade of plants and plant products is up-to-date and accurate.
Technology
EUROPHYT is a web-based network and database. Plant health authorities in the EU Member States and Switzerland upload data to EUROPHYT relating to any non-compliant consignments they intercept. EUROPHYT features an internet-based rapid alert system that immediately notifies the plant health authorities in all Member States and Switzerland of any interceptions. In the event of imports from non-EU countries being intercepted, the plant health authority of the exporting country is also notified by e-mail. All notifications are recorded in a structured database.
Target
EUROPHYT connects the plant health authorities of the EU Member States and Switzerland, as well as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety of the European Commission. Members of the EUROPHYT network have full access to the database, allowing them to analyse trends and produce statistics. Other external users, such as consumers, researchers, producers or policy analysts can access the standard weekly, monthly and annual reports produced by EUROPHYT.
Business model
EUROPHYT is co-funded by the EU and its Member States. Competent public authorities in both EU and non-EU countries can access the platform free of charge upon official registration.
Impact
According to the latest annual report, in 2018, EUROPHYT issued 9053 notifications of interceptions of consignments due to non-conformities with EU requirements, of which 8720 were of non-EU origin. The total number of notifications reporting the presence of harmful organisms (HOs) exhibited an increase over the previous year, but was still lower than in 2014. Through the efficient sharing of data on non-compliant consignments and pest interceptions, EUROPHYT supports timely preventive actions, which may include quarantines or rejections, to prevent the spread of pests and diseases. The system supports coordinated efforts targeting the maintenance of plant health standards, the minimization of economic impacts on agriculture and the protection of the biodiversity of the Member States.
Four Betters
Better production
Better nutrition
Better environment
Better life
