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Food Safety

Protected zones

An EU country may request special protection for all or part of its territory from quarantine pests when these pests:

  • are present in the Union territory but not in the territory of a Member State or a part thereof, and
  • are not listed as Union quarantine pest in Annex II of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072.

A protected zone quarantine pest shall not be introduced into, moved within, or held, multiplied or released in, the respective protected zone.

The rules for the recognition of protected zones, the general obligations and the surveys obligations are detailed in Articles 32 to 35 of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031.

Legislation:

  • Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072
    • Annex III: List of protected zone quarantine pests
    • Annex IX: List of plants, plant products and other objects that are prohibited to enter protected zones
    • Annex X: Special requirements to introduce, or move within protected zones, plants, plant products and other objects
    • Annex XII: List of plants, plant products and other objects that required a phytosanitary certificate to be introduced into certain protected zones
    • Annex XIII: List of plants, plant products and other objects that require a plant passport with the designation PZ for the introduction into certain protected zones.
  • Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/2404: detailed rules for the surveys on protected zones

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