An EU country may request special protection for all or part of its territory from harmful organisms (listed in Directive 2000/29/EC) when:
the harmful organism, which is established in one or more other parts of the Union, is not present in that area despite the environmental conditions in the protected zone being favourable for its establishment;
or
there is a danger that certain harmful organism will establish in that area, given propitious ecological conditions, for particular crops, despite the fact that the organism is not endemic or established in the Union.
Each protected zone is defined in relation to a particular harmful organism. The relevant EU country must ensure that the harmful organism(s) remain absent from the protected zones by following appropriate EU measures and carrying out annual surveys.
The special protection includes a list of:
Harmful organisms whose introduction into and spread within the protected zones must be prevented - Annexes I.B and II.B;
Plants and plant products whose introduction into protected zones is prohibited - Annex III.B;
Requirements which certain plants, plant products or other objects must meet if they are moved into and within a protected zone - Annex IV.B.
Legislation
Recognition of protected zones exposed to particular plant health risks in the EU: Regulation 690/2008 as amended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/791.
Survey procedures to establish protected zones: Directive 92/70/EEC
Movement of certain plants, and plant products and other objects within and through protected zones: Directive 93/51/EEC