The annual meeting of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM), the governing body of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), has agreed to develop a global system of electronic phytosanitary certificates, known as e-Phyto.
20 March 2015: The annual meeting of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM), the governing body of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), has agreed to develop a global system of electronic phytosanitary certificates, known as e-Phyto.
The annual meeting of the Commission, held from 16-20 March 2015 in Rome, Italy, brought together senior plant health specialists from the 181 member countries of the IPPC, who focus on reviewing and establishing international standards on phytosanitary measures that govern how plants and plant products should be handled during movement and transport to prevent the spreading of pests.
The agreed establishment of an e-Phyto online hub is expected to facilitate the exchange of millions of phytosanitary certificates per year, resulting in increased efficiencies in port operations and a reduction in costs, including environmental costs associated with printing and shipping paper certificates. The e-Phyto system will be voluntary, and both trading partners will need to agree to its use. [FAO Press Release][IPPC News Release on e-Phyto][CPM Webpage]