Cases of black spot disease in citrus imports from South Africa and Argentina
8.10.2015
Question for written answer E-013689-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Clara Eugenia Aguilera García (S&D)
The latest official statistics show the number of cases of black spot disease detected in the period up to September 2015 to be far in excess of the five cases maximum set in Decision 2014/422/EU.
In view of the scale of the problems created by the arrival of the Xylella fastidiosa bacterium, the damage this has already wreaked in Italy and the risk of its spreading to other parts of the EU, it is surprising that, far from learning from this, people are now playing with the future of the EU’s citrus sector.
Since the maximum number of detected cases of this infestation set in the decision of 2 July 2014 has now been exceeded in citrus fruit from South Africa:
- 1.What further proof does the Commission need that the arrangements introduced by the countries in question to stop this disease from spreading are not working?
- 2.How does it plan to prevent this infestation from spreading to the EU if, now that the maximum of five detected cases has been exceeded, measures have still not been taken to close the EU’s borders to citrus fruit infected with the disease?