WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/AG/N/CYP/13
1 May 2003
(03-2345)
Committee on Agriculture Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
The attached notification concerning new or modified domestic support measures exempt
from reduction ( Table DS:2 ) was received from the delegation of Cyprus on 31 March 2003.G/AG/N/CYP/13
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Table DS:2
DOMESTIC SUPPORT:  Cyprus
Notification under Article 18:3 of the Agreement:
New or modified domestic support me asures exempt from reduction
(1) Full title of measure:  Quarantine measures to contain and eradicate an outbreak of potato
ring rot.
(2) Domestic legislation:   Law for the Prevention and Control of Plant Pests and Diseases;
Order 446, dated 30 November 2001;  Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 54.689, dated
6 December 2001.
(3) Detailed description of measure with reference to criteria:
This is a measure falling under paragraph 8 of Annex 2 of the Agreement on Agriculture:
Payments for relief from natural disasters.
Ring rot is a very serious quarantine disease of potatoes.  Once introduced and spread into an
area, it has the potential to completely destroy potato production and exports.  A localizedoutbreak of ring rot occurred in Cyprus in th e spring of 2001.  The infection was identified to
originate from a shipment of German seed potatoes of a particular variety.  The Quarantine
Authority of Cyprus immediatel y took drastic action to contain and eradicate the disease.
Potato fields planted with the particular variety were identified and the crop was destroyed by
the Cyprus Department of Agriculture.  As provided under the respective national legislation
on the Prevention and Control of Plant Pests and Diseases, farmers were paid an area
compensation to cover the loss of income they suffered.  The loss of income was estimated
using established procedures developed by the Department of Agriculture.
Following relevant standards recommended by international organizations (EPPO) and the
EU (directive 93/85/EEC), the Quarantine Authority of Cyprus also imposed restrictions with
respect to the types of crops that can be planted on potentially infected fields during the next3 years after the year of outbreak.  These include:
a) Fields planted with the particular variety of potatoes in 2001 (category A) were
clearly marked and set aside for 3 years.  During this period farmers are obliged to
keep them fallow and to destroy, under the supervision of the Department ofAgriculture, any residual potato plants that may grow on them.  They are to be paid
an area compensation equal to the standard gross margin of potato production in the
particular area.
b) Fields of the same farm planted with potatoes of other varieties (category B) were
also clearly marked and set aside for one year.  During the following two years, such
fields can be planted with crops not belonging to the Solanacea family of plants, such
as, for example, cereals.  The level of compensation will be reduced accordingly.
(4) Cost of measure:  The cost of the measure for the year 2001 was 482,000 Cyprus Pounds.
Payments to farmers to compensate them for income foregone during the next 3 years(2002-2004) are expected to total over 2.5 million Cyprus Pounds.
(5) Date of entry into effect:  May 2001G/AG/N/CYP/13
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(6) Period of application:   The Quarantine measures were introduced immediately after the
outbreak of the disease in April 2001 and are planned to last until the end of 2004.
(7) Products to principally benefit (if any individual product(s)):  Potato produce for local
market and exports.
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