WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CAN/516 
23 February 2011  
 (11-0936) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
 
1. Notifying Member:  CANADA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:     
2. Agency responsible:  Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Aesculus spp. (horse chestnut tree) plants for planting, including seed  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners (except the United States)  
[ ] Specific regions or countries:    
5. Title of the notified document:  Pest Risk Management Document for Pseudomonas 
syringae pv. aesculi  (horse chestnut bleeding disease)  Language(s):  English and French  
Number of pages:  10 
6. Description of content:  Canada is taking emergency measures  to mitigate the risk of entry 
and establishment of the plant disease, Pseudomonas syringae pv. aesculi .  This risk 
management document provides notification that P. syringae pv. aesculi  is a quarantine 
pest to Canada.  
Canada will prohibit the importation of Aesculus  spp. plants for planting including seed to 
Canada, as of 14 March 2011. 
The Directive D-08-04 Plant Protection Import Requiremen ts for Plants and Plant parts 
for Planting:  Preventing the entry and spread of regulated plant pests associated with the 
plants for planting pathway  will be updated to reflect these new requirements. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ ] food safety, [ ] animal health, [X] plant protection, 
[  ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from other 
damage from pests.    
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  P. syringae  pv.aesculi  
(horse chestnut bleeding disease) is a newly id entified disease that kills the horse chestnut 
tree, Aesculus hippocastranum  L.  The disease was first observed in Aesculus indica , 
causing leaf spots in India and has now been found in many parts of Europe.  P. syringae  
pv. aesculi  is not known to occur in North America.  
Aesculus  spp. is already on Canada's list of plants Not Authorized Pending Pest Risk 
Analysis (NAPPRA) (please see D-08-04 for more details on the NAPPRA list). 
 G/SPS/N/CAN/516 
Page 2  
 
  Although research is underway, data is lacking on the geographical distribution, biology, 
epidemiology, and host range.  Uncertainty exis ts with respect to the potential for this 
pathovar to spread to other native and non-na tive species.  It is known that where the 
pathovar does occur in Europe, infection rates and losses of horse chestnut trees are high.  In addition P. syringae pv. aesculi  is difficult to detect if there is absence of canker. 
The CFIA has decided to put emergency measu res in place to prevent the introduction and 
dissemination in Canada of P. syringae pv. aesculi  into Canada. 
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)   
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)   
 ISPMs 1, 2, 11 and 20 
[ ] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to  the relevant international standard? 
 [X] Yes   [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:    
10. Other relevant documents and langua ge(s) in which these are available:    
Plant Protection Act (1990, c. 22) / Loi su r la protection des végétaux (1990, ch. 22) 
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/en/P-14.8  (English) 
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/fra/P-14.8/index.html  (French) 
D-08-04 Plant Protection Import Requirements fo r Plants and Plant parts for Planting: 
Preventing the entry and spread of regulated pl ant pests associated with the plants for 
planting pathway  / D-08-04 Exigences phytosanitaires régissant l'importation de végétaux 
et de parties de végétaux destinés à la plant ation: réglementer la filière des végétaux 
destinés à la plantation pour contrer l'ent rée et la dispersion de phytoravageurs 
réglementés  
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/pl aveg/protect/dir/d-08-04e.shtml  (English) 
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/francais/ plaveg/protect/dir/d-08-04f.shtml  (French) 
Automated Import Retrieval System / Système de référence automatisé à l'importation 
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/imp/airse.shtml  (English) 
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/francais/imp/airsf.shtml  (French) 
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  
14 March 2011 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure    G/SPS/N/CAN/516 
 Page 3 
 
 
  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:   
Aïda Baroudi  
Horticultural Specialist 
59 Camelot Drive  
Ottawa (Ontario) Canada. K1A 0Y9 Tel:  (613) 773-7172 E-mail:  Aida.Baroudi@inspection.gc.ca 
13. Texts available from:  [ ] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   
The electronic version of the Risk Mana gement Document can be downloaded at: 
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/pl aveg/protect/rmd/rmd-10-27e.shtml  (English) 
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/francais/plaveg/protect/rmd/rmd-10-27f.shtml  (French)