G/SPS/N/GBR/14  
 
28 April 2022  
(22-3380) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED KINGDOM  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  All plants other than seeds (HS code: 06)  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  The Phytosanitary Conditions (Amendment) (No. 2) 
Regulations 2022 . Language(s):  English . Number of pages:  2 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2022/SPS/GBR/22_3095_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The Phytosanitary Conditions (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 
2022 amend Annex 7 part A entry 57 of retained Commission Implementing 
Regulation  2019/2072, to enhance import requirements to prevent the introduction of the 
plant pest Thaumetopoea pityocampa (pine processionary moth) in Great Britain.  
This regulation mak es two changes:  
− Amends the import requirements for Thaumetopoea pityocampa  pest host species 
Cedrus Trew and Pinus L removing the special requirement option of an official 
statement that the plants have been produced in nurseries which, along with their 
vicinity, have been found free from Thaumetopoea pityocampa  on the basis of official 
inspections and official surveys  carried out at appropriate times;  
− Extends the remaining special requirements to include all plants other than seeds to all 
countries.  
If a country has Pest Free status for Thaumetopoea pityocampa  then the change has no 
impact.  
7. Objective and rationale:  [ ] food safety, [  ] animal health, [X]  plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [X]  protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  Enhanced import 
requirem ents are being introduced following interceptions of Thaumetopoea pityocampa on 
Pinus trees imported in 2022 from places of production that had been officially designated 
as free of the pest. The special requirement option to declare by an official statement that 
'the plants have been produced in nurseries which, along with their vicinity, have b een 
found free from Thaumetopoea pityocampa  on the basis of official inspections and official 
surveys carried out at appropriate times' is no longer considered robust or sufficient in 
providing assurance that plants are free from the pest. Additionally, th e remaining special 
requirements are being extended to include all 'plants', due to evidence that other plants G/SPS/N/GBR/14  
 
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  and cut foliage are a pathway for entry.  
In light of the developments described above, and further evidence that the immediate 
vicinity of a numb er of nurseries which have been exporting to Great Britain are infested 
with the pest, it is considered that the existing import requirements are not adequate to 
mitigate the risk of introduction of this pest and meet our appropriate level of protection. 
Additionally, the range of Thaumetopoea pityocampa  has been spreading north in 
mainland Europe and is of increasing concern to Great Britain. Given the recent 
interception on imports into Great Britain, the spread of the pest, and the highly mobile 
nature o f Thaumetopoea pityocampa  with its flying season due to commence imminently, 
we have determined these measures are required to reduce the risk of pest import.  
9. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
10. Other relevant documents and lan guage(s) in which these are available:    
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  
29 April 2022  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X ] National Notification 
Authority, [  ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
UK SPS Contact Point, Defra, Nobel House, London SW1P 3JR  
E-mail: UKSPS@defra.gov .uk  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
UK SPS Contact Point, Defra, Nobel House, London SW1P 3JR  
E-mail: UKSPS@defra.gov.uk