European Commission adopts measures to prevent and contain Meloidogyne graminicola
National plant-health competent authorities must establish demarcated areas and enforce eradication or containment measures that prohibit movement of specified plants and soil and require intensive annual surveys
Change
On 3 July 2026 the European Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1432 establishing binding measures to prevent establishment and spread of Meloidogyne graminicola within the Union, setting demarcated-area rules, survey and reporting obligations and prohibitions on movement of specified plants and soil, and repealing Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1372; the Regulation enters into force on the twentieth day after its publication in the Official Journal.
Why it matters
The Regulation binds Member States to establish demarcated areas (infested zone plus a buffer of at least 100 m) on official confirmation and to apply eradication or containment measures inside them. It requires intensive annual surveys inside demarcated areas, risk-based annual surveys outside, mandatory annual reporting to the Commission by 30 April using prescribed templates, and specific on-farm prohibitions (no movement of soil or specified plants out of infested zones for three years) plus mandatory cleaning of machinery and tools before movement.
Implications
- — National plant-health competent authorities must, without delay after official confirmation of the pest, establish demarcated areas consisting of an infested zone and a buffer of at least 100 m and apply the Regulation's eradication or containment measures — failure to do so constitutes non-compliance with the Regulation.
- — National plant-health competent authorities must carry out intensive annual surveys in demarcated areas and risk-based annual surveys outside them and submit the results to the Commission and other Member States by 30 April each year using the prescribed templates — missing those submissions breaches the Regulation's reporting obligations.
- — Operators of agricultural holdings, plant producers and persons using machinery, tools, vehicles or personal equipment in demarcated infested zones must not move soil, specified plants or host plants out of the infested zone for three years and must clean specified objects of soil and plant debris before moving them — movements or transfers that contravene these prohibitions are forbidden under the Regulation.
Who is affected
- — National plant-health competent authorities
- — Operators of agricultural holdings and plant producers in demarcated infested zones
- — Operators using machinery, tools, vehicles or personal equipment that have been used in infested zones
What to watch
- — Effective: on the twentieth day after publication in the Official Journal (published 6 July 2026) — Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1432 becomes directly applicable and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1372 is repealed.
- — Deadline: 30 April each year — Member States must submit the preceding year's survey results to the Commission and other Member States using the prescribed templates.