title: Reducing the risk of invasive forest pests and pathogens: Combining legislation, targeted management and public awareness.
abstract: Intensifying global trade will result in increased numbers of plant pest and pathogen species inadvertently being transported along with cargo. This paper examines current mechanisms for prevention and management of potential introductions of forest insect pests and pathogens in the European Union (EU). Current European legislation has not been found sufficient in preventing invasion, establishment and spread of pest and pathogen species within the EU. Costs associated with future invasions are difficult to estimate but past invasions have led to negative economic impacts in the invaded country. The challenge is combining free trade and free movement of products (within the EU) with protection against invasive pests and pathogens. Public awareness may mobilise the public for prevention and detection of potential invasions and, simultaneously, increase support for eradication and control measures. We recommend focus on commodities in addition to pathways, an approach within the EU using a centralised response unit and, critically, to engage the general public in the battle against establishment and spread of these harmful pests and pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7044, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden. maartje.klapwijk@slu.se.
authors.forename: Maartje J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Klapwijk
authors.affiliation: Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodlands and Forest Health, Murdoch University, WA 6150, Perth, Australia. a.hopkins@murdoch.edu.au.|Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden. a.hopkins@murdoch.edu.au.
authors.forename: Anna J M
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hopkins
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography and Economic History, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden. louise.eriksson@umu.se.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.affiliation: Department of Business Administration, Technology and Social Sciences, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87, Luleå, Sweden. maria.pettersson@ltu.se.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pettersson
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, SLU, Box 7044, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden. martin.schroeder@slu.se.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schroeder
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, SLU, Box 7044, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden. ake.lindelow@slu.se.
authors.forename: Åke
authors.initials: Å
authors.lastname: Lindelöw
authors.affiliation: Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 230 53, Alnarp, Sweden. jonas.ronnberg@slu.se.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rönnberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography and Economic History, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden. carina.keskitalo@umu.se.
authors.forename: E Carina H
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Keskitalo
authors.affiliation: CABI Europe-Switzerland, 1 Rue des Grillons, 2800, Delémont, Switzerland. m.kenis@cabi.org.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kenis
mesh_terms: D003132:Commerce / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D017753:Ecosystem; D005062:European Union; D016468:Forestry / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000379:methods; D065928:Forests; D058865:Introduced Species / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012306:Risk
keywords: Biosecurity; European Union; Pathways; Plant health; Plants for planting; World trade organisation