Strengthening plant health: addressing emerging plant pest risks

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• improved understanding of key drivers of plant pest emergence, including the influence of climate change, ecosystem degradation and globalisation;
• cost-effective and environmentally friendly preventive and/or curative measures for managing the targeted plant pest(s) are identified, validated, and made available to farmers and forest owners for effective pest management;
• robust scientific support is delivered to strengthen decision-making processes.

Scope:

Effective plant health measures are essential for protecting agriculture and forestry, ensuring food security, preserving ecosystems and biodiversity, and enabling safe and sustainable trade. This action aims to strengthen plan health by addressing emerging plant pests^[1], whether regulated or unregulated, introduced or native, that currently pose, or are likely to pose, significant socio-economic and/or environmental threats to agriculture and forestry within the EU and Associated Countries.

Proposals should target one or more emerging plant pests^[2], taking into account the increasing risks driven by climate change, biodiversity loss, land use changes, globalisation and other contributing factors, with the exception of plant pests targeted in Horizon Europe^[3].

Proposals should:

• enhance understanding of pest(s) biology, introduction pathways, mechanisms of spread, thereby reducing uncertainties and lack of data in pest risk assessments;
• develop rapid, safe, and cost-effective tools and methods for preventing introduction and spread of the pest(s); this includes early detection, surveillance, treatment, and (bio)control measures (including innovative agro-ecological or forestry management practices), in line with sustainable and integrated pest management;
• assess the social, economic, and environmental impacts of plant pest(s) establishment and spread on farmers and/or forest owners and develop strategies to mitigate these impacts effectively;
• contribute to the identification of resistant and/or tolerant traits.

Proposals may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) to, for instance, develop, test and demonstrate tools and methods for early detection, surveillance, treatment, and (bio)control measures.

Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach including a range of actors to ensure that knowledge and needs from various sectors such as research, plant health services, farming/forestry sectors, advisory services, and industry are brought together.

International cooperation with countries affected or threatened by the same pest(s) is strongly encouraged. Results should address diverse farming systems/approaches, including conventional and organic farming. When relevant, consider a gender sensitive and inclusive approach and the specific needs of groups in vulnerable situations.

Proposals should contribute to the objectives of the common agricultural policy, the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive^[4], the policies related to the EU’s Vision for Agriculture and Food, the EU Action Plan for the Development of Organic Production^[5] and support Regulation 2016/2031^[6] on protective measures against pests of plants.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding. In particular, the JRC would consider potential collaboration related to the update of potential impacts of the selected pests using the impact indicator for priority pests and acceptability of control measures by farmers and foresters.

[1] A pest is defined here as any species, strain or biotype of plant, animal or pathogenic agent injurious to plants or plant products (EU Regulation 2016/2031).

[2] Applicants are expected to explain and justify the choice of pest(s) in alignment with the proposal’s objectives and the topic’s expected outcomes.

[3] Pest of the topics: HORIZON-CL6-2022-FARM2FORK-02-02-two-stage: Emerging and future risks to plant health and HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-01-two-stage: Emerging and future risks to plant health.

[4] DIRECTIVE 2009/128/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 21 October 2009 establishing a framework for Community action to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02009L0128-20091125

[5] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021DC0141R%2801%29

[6] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/2031/oj