The EFSA guidance on the environmental risk assessment of plant pests presents an enhanced methodology for assessing the consequences of plant pests for structural (biodiversity) and functional (ecosystem services) components of the environment, together with complementary practical information for assessors.
December 2011: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has adopted guidance on an enhanced methodology for assessing the environmental risks posed by harmful organisms that may enter, establish and spread in the EU.
Developed by the EFSA Panel on Plant Health (PLH), the guidance document reviews existing methods and identifies gaps and limitations. It then presents a new methodology that aims to enhance the existing EFSA guidance on a harmonized framework for pest risk assessment and the identification of pest risk management options.
The guidance includes: methods for assessing both the structural (biodiversity) and functional (ecosystem services) aspects of the environment; and a list of questions for assessors to evaluate the consequences for both aspects in the current areas of invasion and the risk assessment area.
The methodology is complemented by: a rating system based on a probabilistic approach with an evaluation of the degree of uncertainty; an overview of the available risk reduction options for pests in natural environments; a description of minimum data requirements; and a glossary to support the common understanding of the principles. [Publication: EFSA Guidance on the Environmental Risk Assessment of Plant Pests]