EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends the Plant Health (Scotland) Order 2005 (SSI 2005/613) (“the principal Order”). It implements the following Commission Implementing Decisions:—

It also amends article 31 of the principal Order to ensure that inspectors may enter premises for the purposes of determining whether any plant pest is present there (or for determining the distribution of any plant pest) (article 5).

Article 4(3) makes provision for notification requirements for the landing of certain tree plants in Scotland. It introduces a new article 19B into the principal Order. The new article 19B requires twenty four hours’ written notice to be given to plant health inspectors before the landing in Scotland of certain tree plants which are intended for planting. The affected plants are those of Castanea Mill., Fraxinus L., Pinus L., Platanus L. and Quercus L, that have been grown in another member State or in Switzerland. Breach of the notification requirements is made an offence by article 7 of this Order, which amends article 45 (offences) of the principal Order.

Commission Implementing Decision 2012/270/EU

This Commission Implementing Decision relates to the plant pests Epitrix cucumeris (Harris), Epitrix similaris (Gentner), Epitrix subcrinita (Lec.) and Epitrix tuberis (Gentner) (known commonly as potato flea beetles). Article 11(a) substitutes paragraph 3b of Part A of Schedule 6 to the principal Order to ensure that potatoes (other than seed potatoes) originating in any third country where the pests are known to occur may only move within Scotland if accompanied by a plant passport. Article 12(a) substitutes paragraph 3b of Part A of Schedule 7 to ensure that any such potatoes may only be consigned to another part of the European Union if accompanied by a plant passport.

Commission Implementing Decision 2012/697/EU

This Commission Implementing Decision relates to plant pests falling within the genus Pomacea (Perry) (freshwater snails). It is implemented by:—

Commission Implementing Decision 2012/756/EU

This Commission Implementing Decision relates to the plant pest Pseudomonassyringae pv. actinidiae Takikawa, Serizawa, Ichikawa, Tsuyumu & Goto (the causal bacterium of kiwifruit canker). It is implemented by:—

Commission Implementing Decision 2013/67/EU

This Commission Implementing Decision amends Commission Decision 2004/416/EC on temporary measures in respect of citrus fruits originating in Brazil (OJ L 151, 30.4.2004, p.76) by revoking the temporary emergency measures which were put in place in respect of the bacterial species Xanthomonas campestris. It is implemented by article 9(1)(a) to (e) which revokes item 15a in Schedule 4, Part A of the principal Order and makes other consequential amendments.

In relation to article 4 of this Order a business and regulatory impact assessment has been prepared and placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Copies may be obtained from the Agriculture, Food and Rural Communities Directorate of the Scottish Government.