Transnational European research collaboration to tackle plant health threats: Euphresco and its contribution to the new EU Plant Health Regulation

The new EU Plant Health Regulation published in December 2016 is intended to modernize the EU plant health regime and to address the challenges posed by globalization of trade and climate change, overcoming the limits of the previous Directive. The main weaknesses of the approach taken so far are linked to the discontinuous links between phytosanitary policy (determined at EU level) and research supporting such a policy, implemented at country level. Since 2006 Euphresco has developed a platform for research coordination that supports capacity building and streamlines the delivery and use of research evidence to support plant health policy. The paper provides an opinion on how Euphresco (research) activities could support the implementation of the new EU Plant Health Regulation.