20 May 2011: The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) has issued specifications for the work of two expert groups on the development of new International Standards on Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs). The specifications concern: establishment and maintenance of fruit fly quarantine areas within a pest free area in the event of outbreak detection; and international movement of seed.

The specifications provide the reasons for the new standards and their intended scope and purpose, and lay out the terms of reference (TORs) for the respective expert groups. The standard on fruit fly quarantine areas will provide guidance on phytosanitary measures that are intended to protect other production areas within a pest free area and, as far as possible, allow for the continuation of fruit and vegetables production, movement and handling, treatment, and shipping when some or all of the components of the fruit and vegetables export process are located in quarantine areas within a pest free area.

The standard will complement an existing ISPM on establishment of pest free areas for fruit flies. The specification mandates the IPPC Technical Panel on Fruit Flies to develop the standard. The aim of the proposed standard on international movement of seed is to harmonize approaches to managing phytosanitary risks associated with seeds, such as seed-borne or seed-transmissible pests, requiring specific phytosanitary import requirements for treatment, origin-based restrictions, and associated phytosanitary certification of seed. The specification mandates the establishment of an expert working group of 5–10 phytosanitary experts with relevant expertise.

Participants and interested parties are encouraged to submit discussion papers to the IPPC Secretariat, which is provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). [Specification on Fruit Fly Quarantine Areas] [Technical Panel on Fruit Flies] [Specification on International Movement of Seed]