Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2520 of 15 December 2025 establishing measures to prevent the establishment and spread within the Union territory of Aromia bungii (Faldermann) and on measures for the eradication and containment of that pest within certain demarcated areas and repealing Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1503

Current text a fecha 2026-04-15

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2016 on protective measures against pests of plants, amending Regulations (EU) No 228/2013, (EU) No 652/2014 and (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directives 69/464/EEC, 74/647/EEC, 93/85/EEC, 98/57/EC, 2000/29/EC, 2006/91/EC and 2007/33/EC (1), and in particular Article 28(1), point (a) to (f)), and (2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1503 (2) establishes measures to prevent the introduction into and the spread within the Union of Aromia bungii (Faldermann) (‘the specified pest’). It is a highly destructive pest for Prunus plant species in the Union territory.

(2) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 (3) lays down, in Part B of its Annex II, the list of Union quarantine pests known to occur in the Union territory.

(3) The specified pest is included in Part B of Annex II to that Regulation, as it is known to occur in certain parts of the Union territory. It is also listed in the Annex to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/1702 (4) as a priority pest.

(4) Host plants, which in the past have been found to be infested by the specified pest in the Union territory, are most likely to contribute to its spread (‘specified plants’). They should be subjected to annual surveys and certain measures for eradication or containment, as applicable, in the demarcated areas.

(5) Based on findings of the specified pest in the Union territory, the list of the specified plants should be extended to cover all Prunus species and should no longer exclude Prunus laurocerasus.

(6) In order to ensure the early detection and eradication of the specified pest in the Union territory, where the specified pest is not known to occur, Member States should carry out annual surveys. They should cover all the specified plants, in order to be most effective. Those surveys should be based on the scientific advice of the European Food Safety Authority (‘the Authority’) contained in the General guidelines for statistically sound and risk-based surveys for plant pests (5).

(7) It is possible to use specified plants to attract the specified pest and thus delimit its presence in case of finding.

(8) Moreover, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, each Member State is to draw up and keep up to date a contingency plan for each priority pest which is able to enter and become established in its territory. Based on the experience from previous outbreaks, it is necessary to adopt specific rules implementing Article 25 of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 for drawing up of a comprehensive contingency plan in case of findings of the specified pest in the Union.

(9) To prevent the spread of the specified pest in the Union territory and bearing in mind its spread capacity, the width of a buffer zone should be at least 2 km beyond the boundaries of the infested zone.

(10) In order to ensure the immediate application of eradication measures and to prevent the further spread of the specified pest to the rest of the Union territory, it is necessary to set out rules concerning the annual surveys of the demarcated areas. Those rules should be based on the European Food Safety Authority’s (‘the Authority’) General guidelines for statistically sound and risk-based surveys for plant pests, in order to adapt to the most updated scientific and technical evidence.

(11) In order to ensure a proportionate response to the phytosanitary risk, it is necessary to set out rules for the reduction of the size of the demarcated areas, derogations from their establishment and their abolitions. Specific conditions should be established for the application of those rules and derogations, to ensure that the specified pest does not spread to the rest of the Union territory.

(12) In cases of isolated findings of the specified pest in the Union territory, the establishment of a demarcated area should not be required if the specified pest can be eliminated from the respective plants, and if there is evidence that those plants were infested before their introduction into the area, or that the finding is not expected to lead to establishment. This is the most proportionate approach, as long as the surveys carried out in the area concerned confirm the absence of the specified pest. However, in very specific cases, where the emergence and spread of the specified pest can unequivocally be excluded and the respective risk is considered negligeable, such surveillance is not justified and thus should not be required.

(13) In certain areas of the Union territory, the eradication of the specified pest is no longer possible. The Member States concerned should therefore be allowed to apply measures for the containment of that pest within those areas, instead of its eradication.

(14) The measures in the demarcated areas under containment should be less stringent than the measures for eradication but they should ensure a diligent survey approach and taking precautionary actions, mainly in the respective buffer zones, in order to prevent the spread of the specified pest to the rest of the Union territory.

(15) As the measures concerning the demarcated areas for containment are less stringent than the measures in demarcated areas for eradication, the width of the buffer zone should be increased to at least 4 km to ensure that the specified pest does not spread outside those demarcated areas.

(16) Member States should notify to the Commission and to the other Member States every demarcated area for containment that they intend to designate or modify, in order for the Commission to obtain an overview of the spread of the specified pest in the Union territory and to be able to include the respective area in a list of demarcated areas for containment.

(17) In order to ensure the immediate removal of the infested plants and to prevent the further spread of the specified pest to the rest of the Union territory, the surveys of the buffer zones should be carried out annually at the most appropriate time of the year and with sufficient intensity, taking into account the possibility for the competent authorities to further monitor the specified plants in the infested zones for containment.

(18) In order to prevent the possible spread of the specified pest outside demarcated areas, the intensity of the surveys around the places of production in the demarcated areas should be more intensive than in the rest of these areas.

(19) The measures contained in Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1503 concerning the introduction into, and movement within, the Union territory of the specified plants, are included in Annexes VII and VIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072. The requirements concerning surveys, eradication and containment of the specified pest should be updated in line with Regulation EU 2016/2031 and replaced by the measures of this Regulation.

(20) Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1503 should therefore be repealed.

(21) The provisions of this Regulation concerning surveys on the basis of the Authority’s Pest Survey Card on Aromia bungii (6) and the Authority’s General guidelines for statistically sound and risk-based surveys (7) should apply from 1 January 2027, in order to allow sufficient time for the competent authorities to plan, prepare the design and allocate sufficient resources for such surveys.

(22) Reporting of the surveys in demarcated areas should be done in a uniform manner to ensure consistency and harmonisation and therefore a specific template should be provided for.

(23) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

CHAPTER I

SUBJECT MATTER AND DEFINITIONS

Article 1

Subject matter

This Regulation sets out measures to prevent the establishment and spread within the Union territory of Aromia bungii (Faldermann), measures for its eradication, where it is found present in that territory, and measures for its containment, when eradication is no longer possible.

Article 2

Definitions

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

(1) ‘specified pest’ means Aromia bungii (Faldermann);

(2) ‘specified plants’ means plants for planting, other than seeds, that have a stem or root collar diameter of 1 cm or more at their thickest point, of Prunus spp;

(3) ‘sentinel plants’ means specified plants specifically planted to support the early detection of the specified pest and used for surveys;

(4) ‘specified wood and wood packaging material’ means wood and wood packaging material of Prunus spp.;

(5) ‘demarcated area for containment’ means an area, where the specified pest cannot be eradicated, listed in Annex I.

CHAPTER II

ANNUAL SURVEYS FOR THE SPECIFIED PEST OF THE UNION TERRITORY AND CONTINGENCY PLANS

Article 3

Surveys of the Union territory outside of demarcated areas

Competent authorities shall conduct risk-based annual surveys of the specified plants in the areas of their territories, where the specified pest is not known to occur, for the presence of that pest.

The design and sampling scheme of those surveys shall allow to detect, within the Member State concerned, with a sufficient level of confidence, a low level of presence of infested plants.

They shall be based on the European Food Safety Authority’s (‘the Authority’) General guidelines for statistically sound and risk-based surveys for plant pests.

The surveys shall be carried out:

(a) on the basis of the level of the respective phytosanitary risk;

(b) in open air, natural and urban areas, as well as in nurseries, garden centres, trading centres, hardwood sawmills, locations where commodities related to wood packaging materials are stored or traded, and other relevant sites, as appropriate;

(c) at appropriate times of the year with regard to the possibility to detect the specified pest, taking into account the biology of that pest, the presence and biology of specified plants, and the scientific and technical information referred to in the Authority’s Pest Survey Card on Aromia bungii.

The surveys shall consist of:

(a) visual examination of specified plants; and

(b) where appropriate, trapping and collection of samples and testing.

In order to complement visual examinations, specifically trained sniffer dogs may be used, where appropriate.

Article 4

Contingency plans

Each Member State shall provide for the following in its contingency plan, as provided for in Article 25 of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031:

(a) the eradication of the specified pest, as set out in Article 9;

(b) the necessary resources to be made available, and the procedures for making those resources available in case of a confirmed or suspected presence of the specified pest;

(c) procedures for identifying the owners of the plants to be removed, notifying the order of removal and accessing private properties, where measures are to be applied in case of detection of the specified pest.

Member States shall update annually their contingency plans, as appropriate.

CHAPTER III

DEMARCATED AREAS

Article 5

Establishment of demarcated areas

Where the presence of the specified pest is officially confirmed, the Member State concerned shall, without delay, establish a demarcated area for the purpose of eradication of the specified pest.

Following an official confirmation of the presence of the specified pest and the establishment of the demarcated area referred to in paragraph 1, the competent authorities shall, without delay, determine the level of infestation through a delimiting survey.

When, on the basis of the results of the survey referred to in Article 3, during at least four consecutive years it is concluded by the competent authority that the level of infestation by the specified pest is such that makes its eradication impossible, the competent authority may decide to change the regime to containment. In such cases, the competent authority shall immediately notify to the Commission the details of the new demarcated area for containment that they intend to designate or modify, in order for such area to be included in the list of demarcated areas for containment in Annex I.

The demarcated area shall consist of the following:

(a) a zone including all infested plants and all specified plants which are liable to become infested, within at least 100 m radius around infested plants (‘infested zone’);

The delimitation of the demarcated area shall be based on:

(a) the scientific principles, the biology of the specified pest, the level of infestation, the particular distribution of the specified plants in the area concerned, and the evidence of establishment of the specified pest;

(b) a delimiting survey with a design and sampling scheme allowing to detect with a 95 % level of confidence, a 1 % of presence of infested plants;

For the purposes of taking the eradication measures referred to in Article 9, the width of the buffer zone may be reduced to no less than 1 km, where the competent authority concludes that eradication of the specified pest is possible, taking into account the circumstances of the outbreak, such as its size and location, the level of infestation or the number and distribution of specified plants.

In the case of a demarcated area for containment, the width of the buffer zone may be reduced to not less than 2 km, if the competent authority considers that distance to be appropriate for the containment of the specified pest, taking into account the circumstances of the outbreak, such as its size and location, the level of infestation or the number and distribution of specified plants.

Within the demarcated areas, the competent authorities shall ensure that the general public and professional operators are aware of the delimitation of the demarcated areas.

Article 6

Derogations from the establishment of demarcated areas

By way of derogation from Article 5, the competent authority may decide not to establish a demarcated area if there is evidence that:

(a) the specified pest has been introduced into the area with the plants, wood or wood packaging material on which it was found, and those plants, wood or wood packaging material were infested before their introduction into the area concerned and no multiplication of the specified pest has occurred or it is an isolated finding, not expected to lead to establishment; and

(b) there is no establishment of the specified pest, and the spread and successful breeding of the specified pest is not possible due to its biology, based on the results of a specific investigation and eradication measures taken.

Where the competent authority uses the derogation provided for in paragraph 1, it shall:

(a) take immediate measures to ensure the prompt eradication of the specified pest and to exclude the possibility of its spread;

(b) during at least one life cycle of the specified pest plus one additional year, and not less than four consecutive years, survey a width of at least 1 km around the infested plants or the place where the specified pest was found and regularly and intensively, in accordance with Article 3, during at least the first flying period of the specified pest;

(c) trace back the origin of the infestation, examining the specified plants, specified wood or wood packaging material around the finding for any sign of infestation, including by targeted destructive sampling, to discard the presence of larvae;

(d) raise public awareness of the threat of the specified pest; and

(e) take any other measure, which may help eradicate the specified pest, in accordance with the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measure (‘ISPM’) No 9 (8) and applying an integrated approach in accordance with the principles set out in ISPM No 14 (9).

Point (b) of paragraph 2 shall not apply in the cases where the presence or emergence of adults of the specified pest in the specified plant, specified wood or specified wood packaging material can unequivocally be excluded, and the reasons for that conclusion have been communicated to the Commission in writing.

Article 7

Abolition of the demarcated area

A demarcated area may be abolished when, based on the surveys provided for in Article 8, the specified pest is not detected in the demarcated area for at least four consecutive years.

The demarcation may also be abolished in cases where the conditions set out in Article 6(1) are fulfilled.

Article 8

Annual surveys in demarcated areas and inspections of sentinel plants

In the demarcated areas, the competent authorities shall carry out intensive annual surveys on the specified plants, as referred to in Article 19(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, to detect the presence of the specified pest taking into account the information referred to in the Authority’s pest survey card on Aromia bungii and in accordance with paragraphs 2 to 5 of this Article.

The surveys shall be carried out in accordance with Article 3(3) and (4) to detect the presence of the specified pest.

In order to complement visual examinations, sentinel trees may be used, where appropriate.

In addition, targeted destructive sampling shall be carried out by the responsible official body, where appropriate.

The survey design shall take into account the Authority’s General guidelines for statistically sound and risk-based surveys and the survey design and sampling scheme used for detection surveys shall be able to identify with at least 95 % of confidence, a level of presence of the specified pest of 1 %.

In the cases where sentinel plants are used, those plants shall be subject to inspections at least once per month during the flying season. They shall be destroyed and examined, at the latest, before the specified pest is able to complete one full life cycle in the area of the Member State concerned.

The results of the surveys carried out pursuant to this Article shall be submitted to the Commission using one of the templates referred to in Annex II.

CHAPTER IV

ERADICATION AND CONTAINMENT MEASURES

Article 9

Eradication measures

In order to eradicate the specified pest, the competent authorities shall take the following measures in the infested zones:

(a) the immediate felling of infested plants and plants with symptoms caused by the specified pest, and the complete removal of their roots if larval galleries are observed below the root collar of the infested plant;

(b) the felling of all specified plants within a radius of at least 100 m around infested plants and the examination of those specified plants for any sign of infestation;

(c) removal, examination and safe disposal of plants felled in accordance with points (a) and (b), taking all necessary precautions to avoid spreading of the specified pest during and after felling;

(d) removal, examination and safe disposal of the wood and wood packaging material associated with the infestation, taking all necessary precautions to avoid spreading of the specified pest during and after felling;

(e) prohibition of any movement of potentially infested plants, wood and wood packaging material out of the demarcated area;

(f) investigation of the origin of the infestation by tracing back the plants, wood, wood packaging material and other objects associated with the infestation, and examination thereof for any sign of infestation, including targeted destructive sampling;

(g) replacement of specified plants by other non-susceptible plant species, where appropriate;

(i) raising public awareness of the threat of the specified pest and the measures adopted to prevent its introduction into and spread within the Union territory, including the conditions regarding movement of specified plants, specified wood and wood packaging material from the demarcated area;

(j) specific measures to address any particularity or complication that could reasonably be expected to prevent, hinder or delay eradication, in particular those related to the accessibility and adequate eradication of all plants that are infested or suspected of infestation, irrespective of their location, public or private ownership or the person or entity responsible for them;

(k) any other measure which may contribute to the eradication of the specified pest, in accordance with ISPM No 9 (10) and applying a systems approach in accordance with the principles set out in ISPM No 14 (11).

In the cases of point (a), where it is not possible to remove deeply seated stumps and surface roots, they shall be ground to at least 40 cm below surface level, or covered by insect-proof material. Where the infested plants were found outside the flying period of the specified pest, the felling and removal shall be carried out before the start of the next flying period.

The annual official surveys within a width of at least 1 km around the places of production referred to in Annex VIII, p. 17.4, to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 shall be based on the Authority’s General guidelines for statistically sound and risk-based surveys of plant pests, and the survey design and sampling scheme used shall be able to identify, with at least 99 % confidence level, a level of presence of infested plants of 1 %.

In case of movement of specified wood and wood packaging material outside of the demarcated area and if no treatment or processing facilities are available within the demarcated area, the specified wood or wood packaging material shall be moved, under official control, and under closed conditions in such a manner to ensure that the specified pest cannot spread, to the nearest facility outside the demarcated area to ensure immediate treatment or processing in accordance with points 33-35 of Annex VIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072.

The competent authority shall carry out annual surveys at appropriate times for the presence of the specified pest through inspections on specified plants within at least a width of 1 km of that treatment or processing facility.

By way of derogation from paragraph 1, first subparagraph, point (b), where a competent authority concludes that felling is inappropriate for a limited number of individual plants, due to their particular social, cultural or environmental value, those individual plants shall be subject to a monthly individual examination for any sign of infestation and measures alternative to felling ensuring a high level of protection shall be taken to prevent any possible spread of the specified pest from those plants.

Article 10

Containment measures

In the infested zone of the demarcated areas for containment as listed in Annex I, the competent authorities shall take the following measures:

(a) felling of infested plants and plants with symptoms caused by the specified pest, and complete removal of their roots if larval galleries are observed below the root collar of the infested plant;

(b) removal, examination and disposal of plants felled in accordance with point (a) and of their roots, while taking the necessary precautions to avoid spreading of the specified pest after felling;

(c) prohibition of any movement of potentially infested plants, wood and wood packaging material out of the demarcated area;

(d) where appropriate, replacement of specified plants by other non-susceptible plants;

(e) prohibition of the presence in the infested zone of new specified plants in the open air, except for places of production referred to in point 17.4 of Annex VIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 and sentinel plants;

(f) raising public awareness of the threat of the specified pest and the measures adopted to prevent its introduction into and spread within the Union territory, including the conditions regarding movement of specified plants, specified wood and wood packaging material out of the demarcated area established pursuant to Article 5;

(g) specific measures to address any particularity or complication that could reasonably be expected to prevent, hinder or delay containment, in particular those related to the accessibility and adequate felling and destruction of all plants that are infested or suspected of infestation, irrespective of their location, ownership or the person responsible for them;

(h) any other measure, which may help contain the specified pest.

In the case of point (a), where it is not possible to remove deeply seated stumps and surface roots, they shall be ground to at least 40 cm below surface level, or covered by insect-proof material. Felling activities shall start immediately, however in cases where the infested plants were found outside the flying period of the specified pest, the felling and removal shall be carried out before the start of the next flying period;

The annual official surveys within a width of at least 1 km around the places of production referred to in point 17.4 of Annex VIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 shall be based on the Authority’s General guidelines for statistically sound and risk-based surveys of plant pests, and the survey design and sampling scheme used shall be able to identify, with at least 99 % confidence level, a level of presence of infested plants of 1 %.

In case of movement of specified wood and wood packaging material outside of the demarcated area and if no treatment or processing facilities are available within the demarcated area, the specified wood or wood packaging material shall be moved under official control, and under closed conditions in such a manner to ensure that the specified pest cannot spread, to the nearest facility outside the demarcated area to ensure immediate treatment or processing in accordance with points 33-35 of Annex VIII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072.

Where the presence of the specified pest has been officially confirmed in the buffer zone, Articles 17 and 18 of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 shall apply.

CHAPTER V

FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 11

Reporting

Member States shall, by 30 April of each year, submit to the Commission and to the other Member States a report mentioning the following:

(a) the measures taken during the preceding calendar year pursuant to this Regulation and on the results of the measures provided for in Articles 3 to 10;

(b) the number of samples taken in accordance with Article 8(2);

Article 12

Repeal of Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1503

Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1503 is repealed.

Article 13

Entry into force and application

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Article 3 (2), Article 5(5)(b), and Article 8(3) shall apply from 1 January 2027.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 15 December 2025.

For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN

(1) OJ L 317, 23.11.2016, p. 4, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/2031/oj.

(2) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1503 of 8 October 2018 establishing measures to prevent the introduction into and the spread within the Union of Aromia bungii (Faldermann) (OJ L 254, 10.10.2018, p. 9, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2018/1503/oj).

(3) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 of 28 November 2019 establishing uniform conditions for the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and the Council, as regards protective measures against pests of plants, and repealing Commission Regulation (EC) No 690/2008 and amending Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019 (OJ L 319, 10.12.2019, p. 1; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2019/2072/oj).

(4) 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 (OJ L 260, 11.10.2019, p. 8; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2019/1702/oj).

(5) EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), General guidelines for statistically sound and risk-based surveys of plant pests, 8 September 2020; DOI:10.2903/sp.efsa.2020.EN-1919.

(6) EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), de la Peña E, Schrader G and Vos S, 2021. Pest survey card on Aromia bungii. EFSA supporting publication 2021:EN-6914. Available online: https://efsa.europa.eu/plants/planthealth/monitoring/surveillance/aromia-bungii . Last updated: 26 January 2021.

(7) EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), General guidelines for statistically sound and risk-based surveys of plant pests, 8 September 2020, DOI:10.2903/sp.efsa.2020.EN-1919.

(8) Guidelines for pest eradication programmes — Reference Standard ISPM No 9 by the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention, Rome.

(9) The use of integrated measures in a systems approach for pest risk management — Reference Standard ISPM No 14 by the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention, Rome.

(10) Guidelines for pest eradication programmes — Reference Standard ISPM No 9 by the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention, Rome. Published 15 December 2011.

(11) The use of integrated measures in a systems approach for pest risk management — Reference Standard ISPM No 14 by the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention, Rome. Published 8 January 2014.