Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1289 of 2 July 2025 setting out temporary measures in respect of tubers of Solanum tuberosum L., other than those intended for planting, originating in Egypt, to prevent the introduction of Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Yabuuchi et al. emend. Safni et al. into the Union territory, amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 and repealing Implementing Decision 2011/787/EU

• CELEX: Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1289
• Articles: 14

Article 1 Subject matter and scope

This Regulation sets out requirements and rules concerning the introduction into the Union territory of tubers of Solanum tuberosum L., other than those intended for planting, originating in Egypt, in order to prevent the introduction and spread of Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Yabuuchi et al. emend. Safni et al. in the Union territory.

It applies by way of derogation from point 21 of Annex VII to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072, with respect to the specified pest.

Article 2 Definitions

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

(1)

‘specified pest’ means Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Yabuuchi et al. emend. Safni et al. ;

(2)

‘specified plants’ means tubers of Solanum tuberosum L., other than those intended for planting, originating in Egypt and destined for export to the Union;

(3)

‘pest free area’ means an area established by the national plant protection organisation (‘NPPO’) of Egypt as being free from the specified pest, in accordance with the relevant International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures  ( 7 )

,   ( 8 ) ;

(4)

‘production site’ means a site of production that is managed as a separate unit for phytosanitary purposes, identified by its individual official code number and located in a pest free area.

Article 3 Requirements for the introduction into the Union of the specified plants

The specified plants shall be introduced into the Union territory only where:

(a)

the specific requirements set out in Part A of Annex I have been fulfilled;

(b)

in the case of suspicion of the presence or confirmed presence of the specified pest in production sites and water sources in Egypt, the requirements set out in Part B of Annex I have been fulfilled;

(c)

the requirements of Article 6(1) have been fulfilled;

(d)

where applicable, the measures as set out in Article 7 have been taken.

Article 4 Phytosanitary certificate

The phytosanitary certificate for introduction into the Union of the specified plants shall include, under the heading ‘Additional declaration’, all of the following elements:

(a)

the statement ‘In accordance with European Union requirements laid down in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1289’;

(b)

the lot number corresponding to each exported lot of the specified plants;

(c)

the code of the production site of origin of each lot of the specified plants as listed in accordance with Article 6(1), point (a);

(d)

the name and the identification number of the officially approved packing station(s) and exporter(s) as listed in accordance with Article 6(1), points (b) and (c).

Article 5 Inspections, sampling and testing to be carried out by Member States

1.   Without prejudice to Commission Implementing Regulations (EU) 2019/2130  ( 9 ) and (EU) 2022/2389  ( 10 ) , at the border control posts or at the control points referred to in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2123  ( 11 ) , the specified plants shall be subject to physical checks, as set out in paragraphs 2 to 6.

2.   Sampling for testing of lots, originating from a production site, at least when introduced into a Member State for the first time during the year of concern shall be carried out as follows:

(a)

at least one sample shall be taken from at least one lot from each production site;

(b)

a sample shall consist of at least 200 specified plants per lot;

(c)

if, in a consignment, the total weight of the lots originating from the same production site as the lot referred to in point (a) exceeds the weight of 200 tons, an additional sample shall be taken from another lot than the lot referred to in point (a).

3.   Visual inspections of cut tubers shall be carried out for each consignment as follows:

(a)

at least one sample shall be taken from at least one lot of each production site represented in the consignment;

(b)

a sample shall consist of at least 200 specified plants per lot;

(c)

if, in a consignment, the total weight of the lots originating from the same production site as the lot referred to in point (a) exceeds the weight of 200 tons, an additional sample shall be taken from another lot than the lot referred to in point (a); and

(d)

where cut tubers presenting symptoms are observed during the visual inspections, those cut tubers shall be taken for laboratory testing.

4.   Testing of the specified plants shall be carried out in accordance with the test scheme of Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1193.

5.   While visual inspections, sampling and testing are carried out, and pending the results of those checks, all lots of specified plants originating in the same production site, including lots placed in consignments other than the consignment of the tested lot, that arrive at the same border control post or at the same control point, shall remain under official supervision of the competent authorities of the Member State concerned.

6.   Where the presence of the specified pest is confirmed, all lots of specified plants originating in the same production site, including lots placed in consignments other than the consignment of the tested lot, shall not be introduced into the Union territory.

Article 6 Submission of lists to the Commission and Member States

1.   The specified plants shall be introduced into the Union territory only if the NPPO of Egypt has submitted to the Commission the following lists related to the year of their production in Egypt, before the start of the season of export to the Union and not later than 30 November of that year:

(a)

list of codes of all approved production sites and their associated pest free areas;

(b)

list of names and identification numbers of all officially approved exporters of the specified plants; and

(c)

list of names and identification numbers of all officially approved packing stations.

2.   The Commission shall submit to Member States the lists referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, Article 7(1), point (b), and point 3(c) of Part B of Annex I.

Article 7 Measures in case of confirmed presence of the specified pest on the specified plants during import controls

1.   Where the presence of the specified pest in the specified plants has been confirmed during the import controls carried out by a Member State, other consignments of specified plants originating from the same production site shall not be introduced into the Union territory and the following measures shall be immediately taken by the NPPO of Egypt:

(a)

delisting of the code of the respective production site from the list referred to in Article 6(1), point (a);

(b)

submission to the Commission of an updated list keeping track of the changes made;

(c)

prohibition of the export of the specified plants from the delisted production site to the Union territory.

2.   Following investigations by the NPPO of Egypt, and in cases where evidence exists that the presence of the specified pest is not linked to a specific production site, the respective production site may be re-introduced to the list referred to in Article 6(1), point (a).

3.   No specified plants originating from a delisted production site as referred to in paragraph 1, point (a), of this Article and in points 3(a) and (b) of Part B of Annex I, shall be introduced into the Union territory during the ongoing year of concern and during the three following years. Introduction of specified plants originating from a delisted production site shall be allowed from the fourth year after the year of concern, and only if the absence of the specified pest has been confirmed by the NPPO of Egypt during the three years preceding the year of concern.

Article 8 Labelling

In the case of re-packaging of the specified plants within the Union territory, professional operators shall ensure that appropriate labels accompany the packages, indicating the origin of the specified plants from Egypt and the prohibition to plant them within the Union territory.

Article 9 Waste management

Professional operators shall take appropriate hygiene measures for the disposal of waste after packaging, re-packaging or processing of the specified plants, in a way which is appropriate to prevent any spread of the specified pest resulting from a possible latent infection. Such measures shall include:

(a)

appropriate treatment of all water resulting from the washing and processing of the specified plants, before it is being discharged into surface or irrigation water; and

(b)

preventive actions for the spread on agricultural land of untreated adherent soil, potato waste and rejected potatoes.

Article 10 Amendment of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 is amended in accordance with Annex III to this Regulation.

Article 11 Repeal of Implementing Decision 2011/787/EU

Implementing Decision 2011/787/EU is repealed.

Article 12 Entry into force and application

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .

Point (b) of Part A of Annex I shall apply from 1 December 2028.

This Regulation shall apply until 30 November 2029.

Schedules & Appendices

ANNEX II Specific requirements to be fulfilled for the surveys of the production sites as referred to in Article 3

ANNEX II

Specific requirements to be fulfilled for the surveys of the production sites as referred to in Article 3

Production sites have been subject to intensive surveys during the production of the specified plants for the detection of the specified pest, which have been carried out by the NPPO of Egypt, or by a body delegated by that NPPO.

For each production site, those surveys have included:

(a)

inspections of the growing crop, sampling of specified plants for testing, and examination of cut tubers for symptoms of the specified pest and for testing;

(b)

in case of growing of other cultivated solanaceous crops on a production site within three years before production of specified plants for import into the Union territory, inspections of and sampling from the growing crops for laboratory testing;

(c)

in case of the presence of wild solanaceous host plants, inspections and sampling of those plants for laboratory testing;

(d)

sampling for laboratory testing of water sources in Egypt, and in case one water source has been used for different production sites, at least one water sample from this source has been taken and tested;

(e)

sampling for laboratory testing in accordance with Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1193.

Every year, the results of the surveys of the calendar year have been submitted by the NPPO of Egypt to the Commission, in any case not later than when the lists referred to in Article 6(1) have been provided.

ANNEX III Amendment of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072

ANNEX III

Amendment of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072

In Annex VII, point 21, the text in the second column is replaced by the following:

‘Tubers of Solanum tuberosum L., other than those for planting  ( *1 )

( *1 )   Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1289 of 2 July 2025 setting out temporary measures in respect of tubers of Solanum tuberosum L., other than those intended for planting, originating in Egypt, to prevent the introduction of Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Yabuuchi et al. emend. Safni et al. into the Union territory, amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 and repealing Implementing Decision 2011/787/EU ( OJ L, 2025/1289, 3.7.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/1289/oj ) also applies in respect of tubers of Solanum tuberosum L., other than those intended for planting, originating in Egypt to prevent the introduction of Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Yabuuchi et al. emend. Safni et al . into the Union territory.’

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