G/SPS/N/AUS/455/Add.1  
 
25 February 2021  
(21-1638) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
Addendum  
The following communication, received on 25 February 2021, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of Australia . 
 
_______________  
 
 
Final pest risk analysis for  Pepino mosaic virus  and pospiviroids associated with tomato seeds  
The Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (the department) 
has finalised a pest risk analysis for Pepino mosaic virus and pospiviroids  associated with tomato 
seed.  
The final pest risk analysis identified five quarantine pests associated with tomato ( Solanum 
lycopersicum ) seed: Pepino mosaic virus , Columnea latent viroid , Pepper chat fruit viroid , Tomato 
apical stunt viroid  and Tomato chl orotic dwarf viroid . 
The unrestricted risks of these quarantine pests do not achieve the appropriate level of protection 
(ALOP) for Australia. Consequently, pest risk management measures are required to manage the 
risks posed by the pests to achieve the AL OP for Australia.  
In addition to the department's standard import conditions for seeds for sowing, a combination of 
pest risk management measures is recommended for tomato seed that includes a test or a treatment 
for each identified pest:  
− Option 1. Polymer ase chain reaction (PCR) test -a measure that is applicable to all five quarantine 
pests associated with tomato seed;  
− Option 2. Enzyme -linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test -a measure that is applicable only to 
Pepino mosaic virus;  
− Option 3. Heat treatment -a measure that is applicable only to Pepino mosaic virus . 
If the required treatment or testing is undertaken off -shore, phytosanitary certification is required 
with the additional declaration that the testing or treatment has been conducted in accordance with 
Australia's requirements.  
The draft pest risk analysis was published on the department's website on 8  August 2018 for a 
60 calendar day stakeholder consultation period (G/SPS/N/AUS/455). Comments raised by 
stakeholders were tak en into consideration in the preparation of the final report.  
The key changes made in the final pest risk analysis are:  
− removal of Tomato planta macho viroid  from the analysis because insufficient evidence was found 
of this viroid on the tomato seed for so wing pathway;  
− retention of an ELISA test as an option to manage the risk of introducing Pepino mosaic virus.  
The completed final report is available in English on the Australian Government Department of 
Agriculture, Water and the Environment website at: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity/risk -
analysis/plant/pepino -mosaic -virus-pospiviroids -tomato -seed. G/SPS/N/AUS/455/Add.1  
 
- 2 - 
 
  The specific implementation date and revised import conditions will be made available on Australia's 
Biosecurity Import Conditions (BICON) system:  
https://bicon.agriculture.gov.au/BiconWeb4. 0. 
This addendum concerns a:  
[ ] Modification of final date for comments  
[X] Notification of adoption, publication or entry into force of regulation  
[ ] Modification of content and/or scope of previously notified draft regulation  
[ ] Withdrawal of proposed regulation  
[ ] Change in proposed date of adoption, publication or date of entry into force  
[ ] Other:  
Comment period: (If the addendum extends the scope of the previously notified measure 
in terms of products and/or potentially affected Members, a new deadline for receipt of 
comments should be provided, normally of at least 60 calendar days. Under other 
circumstances, such as extension of originally announced final date for comments, the 
comment period provided in the addendum ma y vary.)  
[ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the addendum to the notification and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification Authority, 
[ ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax nu mber and e -mail address (if available) of other 
body:  
The Australian SPS Notification Authority  
GPO Box 858  
Canberra ACT 2601  
Australia  
E-mail: sps.contact@awe.gov.au  
Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry Poin t. 
Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:  
https://bicon.agriculture.gov.au/BiconWeb4.0  
 
__________