Bunt risks to EU wheat crops

Risks to the quality and export markets of European wheat crops from an exotic cereal pathogen have been reassessed by an international team led by CSL.
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Plant Health Consultancy


Mission and objectives

We provide plant health consultancy services, including technical and scientific advice and guidance on formulation, implementation, review and amendment of UK and EC plant health legislation and plant health policy.

The Plant Health Consultancy Team comprises a group of statutory plant health pathology and entomology specialists. We provide technical and scientific consultancy, advice and guidance to Government legislators on the formulation, implementation, review and amendment of UK and EC plant health legislation and policy in respect of pests and diseases. We also advise on statutory plant health issues relating to imports, exports, disease and pest eradication campaigns and risk assessment, licences and international co-operation. We undertake pest and disease research to support and develop all of these skills.

Science themes

  • Provision of consultancy support to Defra's Plant Health Division and Plant Health Seeds Inspectorate in the areas of EU Plant Health Regime and international agreements, Pest Risk Analysis (PRA), Eradication and containment, Export advice and import licensing and Certification schemes
  • Provision of advice on overarching aspects of UK and EU plant health legislation and policy in respect of plant pests and pathogens
  • Provision of plant health consultancy to underpin EU plant health legislation and procedures developed by the European and Mediterranean Plant Health Organisation (EPPO)
  • Development of pest risk assessments and contingency plans to identify, contain and where possible eradicate pests, recent examples include pest risk assessments for potato ring rot and the UK response to Phytopthora ramorum outbreaks

Team members


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